Ants rely on a scent trail left by their scouts to guide the colony to food sources in your home. The trail may be invisible to us, but finding it and wiping it out is a key to keeping ants from invading your home again.
1. Vinegar
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Vinegar has so many uses in the home, and sure enough, it can help with ants, too. Fill a new clean spray bottle with vinegar. Spray the vinegar along the ant's scent trail. Allow the vinegar to dry. Don't use vinegar on grouted areas. Be sure to follow manufacturer's instructions for the surfaces in your home.
2. Baking Soda
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Another magic cleaner, baking soda is a great tool to help remove the scent trail of scouter ants. Baking soda can be combined with water to make a scrubbing paste, that can then be used to clean along the trail. Baking soda can also be used in dry form, spread along the trail and in any cracks and crevices.
3. Boiling Water
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Boiling, or very hot water can help wipe out a scent trail left by ants as well. Because boiling water is more dangerous to work with, and can damage some surfaces in the home, extreme caution should be used. Boiling water is best used when part of an ant trail can be found outside, because it's unlikely to damage areas outside your home.
4. Cinnamon
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Ground cinnamon can also be a useful tool to remove an ant scent trail. Ants hate cinnamon. They'll go out of their way to avoid any cinnamon scented or coated areas. Spread cinnamon along the ant trail, including cracks and openings.
5. Chalk
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If you can wrestle some sidewalk chalk away from a nearby child, you'll have a great tool to cover up an ant scent trail. Using the chalk, draw along the trail. It's a good idea to extend the trail by several inches on either side as well. The ants won't be able to smell the trail and will look elsewhere for food.
6. Chili Powder
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Similar to the effects of cinnamon, chili powder is a great cover-up for an ant scent trail. Sprinkle your own trail of chili powder along the same trail that ants have used. Be cautious with using chili powder around kids and pets.
7. Commercial Cleansers
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Scrubbing with a commercial cleaner is a good option to remove the ant scent trail. Murphy's oil soap, or cleaners that have orange oil can be great options at cleaning away the trail, and may be a safe option for some surfaces.
