Chances are , you ’ve get a buttery stock with something that an energetic blogger has nickname an all - natural domicile remedy for ant control . Coffee , stinker succus , Eucalyptus amygdalina , dish scoop , cornmeal , vinegar and baking sal soda are the baksheesh of the iceberg , while tender and spicy Ceylon cinnamon is an equally common contender . While you do n’t have much to lose by sprinkle it on your countertops — and you might finish up with a holiday - scented kitchen — * * hard evidence is n’t in favor of ground Ceylon cinnamon as an ant control method . Cinnamon essential oil , on the other hired man , has science on its side . * *
In Theory
Cinnamon ’s strong odour has led to its adoption as an eco - well-disposed ant repellent . Ants convey by leaving a pheromone trail , and the theory function that strong - smelling cinnamon disrupts this essential form of communication , which deters emmet from the expanse . This same reasoning applies to other commonly hint home remediation , such as vinegar , citrous fruit , coffee grounds and red gum .
Spicy but Inconclusive
Melissa Breyer , Centennial State - generator ofTrue Food : Eight dewy-eyed Steps to a Healthier Youand managing editor in chief atTreehugger , reports prescribed consequence from simply sprinkle dry land Ceylon cinnamon in the spots where ants congregate , and she ’s sure as shooting not alone . But entomologist Wizzie Brown of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service records unlike findings , at least in the case of fire ants . In a 2012 study , she found thatground cinnamon applied to displace ant mounds in the same fashion as a pesticide dust in reality increased fire ant activity compared to untreated mounds . This has n’t stop home - remediation fancier from using the technique on household ants , but be warned that your fuel consumption rate may change .
The Oil Effect
Because cinnamon of the essence oil condense the scent of leave into an intensely fragrant substance , it serve as an efficacious household ant repellent , free-base on the same pheromone - disrupt rule as hit - or - miss cinnamon bark background . A 2014 study from the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of Technology in Perlis , Malaysia , concludes thatcinnamon crucial oil fruit positive results in both repellency and insecticidal action , mean it can actually cauterize and kill ants when direct applied .
How to Apply
For home consumption , using cinnamon crucial oil for repellency is a safe bet then using it to kill ants . To apply at home , put on a pair of gloves and create a solution of about 1 percent oil and 99 percent water . After a thorough family cleansing , turn up the field where ants recruit and dwell . break a microfiber textile with the result and wipe down the moved surfaces . For prevention , spray your empty trash bins with the resolution . you could also produce a roadblock around accounting entry points by dipping a cotton plant swob in staring cinnamon essential crude oil and using it to " draw " a circumference . Do not apply 100 - percent cinnamon crude oil around exposed food , though , as the substance give rise an extreme burning sense datum . * * brand name of essential oil may variegate , so always nearly follow the instructions and word of advice bring home the bacon by the maker . * *
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