Essential Oils For Ants

Are you curious about using essential oils for ants?

Essential oils have been touted for their myriad benefits.

They can be used in cooking, for cleaning, and even for medicinal purposes. 

However, they can also be highly effective when it comes to pest control. 

Keep reading to learn more about the best essential oils for ants - and tips on how to use them. 

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are basically just extracts from different parts of a plant. 

The extracts can be derived from bark, leaves, stems, fruits, or other parts of the plant. 

These are put into a press and squeezed until the juices are removed. 

These oils are complex aromatic substances made up of fatty acids, terpenes, ketones, aldehydes, esters, and other compounds.

They are often used for aromatherapy and many other purposes.

There is growing evidence that essential oils can also be used to control pests like ants. 

One way that they do this is by confusing them.

Essential oils, as you might expect, have strong aromas.

This disturbs the pheromones, or scents, that ants use to discover routes to food. 

Applying essential oils can help kill the likelihood of other ants discovering the same spot - something that leads to an infestation.

Are Essential Oils Good For Killing Ants?

Essential oils offer an easy, all-natural way for people to get rid of ants. 

These all-natural pesticides can kill ants in various ways. 

There are several different types you can use, including peppermint oil and tea tree oil. 

To use essential oils, all you need to do is buy a clean spray bottle and fill it with a quarter-cup of water and 30-40 drops of the essential oil of your choice.

Combine different types of essential oils for the best results!

Shake the spray bottle and apply the essential oil spray anywhere in which ants are frequently found, including on ant trails, around baseboards, and near doorways. 

Be careful about using essential oils in areas where you prepare food, however.

Some can be toxic when consumed in high amounts. 

Which Essential Oils For Ants Should I Use?

There are several types of essential oils for ants that are very effective at killing them.

While some are perfectly potent all on their own, there are some that work even better when combined with other types of essential oils.

Here are some of the best options to consider:

Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil is a well-known insect repellant. 

It can be used by itself or in combination with other types of essential oils, like lemon oil or tea tree oil.

The strong minty smell of peppermint oil is typically enough to throw ants off their tracks.

It is also nontoxic.

Tea Tree Oil - Essential Oils For Ants

This is another essential oil that can kill ant scent trails. 

It also is effective in killing the ants themselves. 

In fact, it’s one of the few essential oils that have this property. 

You can use tea tree oil by itself or with other oils, like peppermint oil.

Because peppermint oil doesn’t kill ants but instead merely throws them off their scent trails, tea tree oil can add a dose of toxicity for that one-two punch you’re looking for.

Just be careful about using tea tree oil around pets, as it can be toxic to them in high doses, too.

Lemon Eucalyptus Oil

Lemon eucalyptus oil actually contains citronella, a compound that is well-known for its ability to repel all kinds of insect pests.

Fortunately, ants are one of them. 

Place 15 drops or so of lemon eucalyptus oil in water inside a spray bottle, then spray the area where ants are a problem. 

This oil can be toxic to children and pets, so again, only use this essential oil in areas they can’t reach.

Cinnamon Leaf Oil

You can use powdered cinnamon to get rid of ants, but cinnamon essential oil tends to be much more potent. 

This is an especially effective remedy when it comes to getting rid of stinging and biting red ants.

Just dip a few cotton balls in undiluted oil, allow them to dry, and place them in strategic locations around the house. 

If you’re using plain powdered cinnamon, all you need to do is sprinkle it over window sills, baseboards, and other areas typically frequented by ants.

Citrus Oils - Essential Oils For Ants

Whether it’s lemon, orange, or some other type of citrus, one thing that all citrus oils have in common is that they contain d-limonene.

Though this compound is great for us, as humans, it’s actually toxic to ants. 

Not only that, but it has the power to erase all chemical traces they leave behind.

If you have to choose between all citrus oils, go with sweet orange oil.

This essential oil has the highest concentration of d-limonene.

Other good options include grapefruit, lemon, tangerine, and mandarin.

Lavender Oil

Lavender is best known for its abilities to calm and soothe frazzled nerves (as well as for its ability to induce sleep).

So if the lavender oil doesn’t work to get rid of the ants, at least it can help relieve some of your stress about your infestation!

Just kidding, of course. 

In reality, lavender oil is a powerful essential oil. 

Ants hate the smell of lavender oil, so combining it with water is a great way to get rid of ants in your home and garden.

How To Get Rid Of Ants Permanently

If you’re looking for all-natural remedies to prevent and get rid of ants, essential oils aren’t your only option. 

You can also turn to other solutions.

For example, a good clean-up is often all it takes to remove ants from your home. 

Ants take advantage of invisible scent trails to root out sources of food. 

Wash away any areas where you think scent trails might be likely (such as in your kitchen or near your dog’s food bowl) with some light dish soap. 

Make sure crumbs and spills are cleaned up promptly, as are leaks from things like faucets and leaky pipes.

All of these can attract ants extremely fast!

Finally, consider natural solutions like poison-free ant traps (which use pheromones instead of chemical baits), diatomaceous earth, cinnamon, and white vinegar.

These remedies might take longer to work than store-bought chemicals, but you won’t have to worry about using them around your children or pets.

Of course, essential oils are almost always safe to use and effective, too - so feel free to give some of these essential oils for ants a try today!