13 Smells Ants Absolutely Hate

Ever walked into your kitchen to find a line of ants marching across the counter like they own the place? Before you start spraying every inch of your home with chemicals, let me share a little secret: there are a bunch of natural scents that ants can’t stand.

From the sharp smell of vinegar to the refreshing scent of peppermint, we’ve got plenty of options that won’t just keep your home ant-free but will also make it smell amazing.

Vinegar

Ever notice ants marching one-by-one into your kitchen? Grab some vinegar from your pantry, and you’ll see them march right back out! Ants absolutely detest the strong scent of vinegar because it messes with their scent trails, making it hard for them to find their way.

Here’s a quick fix: mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Give it a good shake, and spritz it around doorways, windowsills, and anywhere else these tiny invaders hang out.

Citrus

While we love it for its refreshing scent and juicy goodness, ants find the sharp smell of citrus peels, especially from oranges and lemons, incredibly horrible. This works to your advantage because the citrus essence disrupts their crucial pheromone trails.

For a homemade ant repellant, squeeze some lemon or orange juice, dilute it with water, and pour it into a spray bottle. You can also scatter shredded citrus peels around problem areas. I like to mop my house with orange oil diluted with water. Smells great, and keeps the ants (and spiders) away, too!

Black Pepper

Black pepper emits a strong scent that disrupts the scent trails ants rely on to navigate. Try this simple trick: mix a tablespoon of ground black pepper with a cup of water in a spray bottle. Give it a good shake and spritz it around the usual suspect areas like door frames, windowsills, and any other ant hot spots.

For an even stronger barrier, sprinkle some dry black pepper directly on their paths and watch them scatter.

Peppermint Oil

The intense smell of peppermint overwhelms the ants’ delicate sense of smell, making it tough for them to detect food sources or follow their trails. Here’s how to make your home a no-ant zone: mix about 20 drops of peppermint oil with a cup of water in a spray bottle. Shake it well, then mist the areas where you’ve seen ants roaming around. Apply daily for maximum effectiveness.

Cayenne

The pungent smell of cayenne is a big turn-off for ants, interfering with the scent trails they leave for their buddies. If ants are turning your home into their playground, here’s an easy solution: mix a few shakes of cayenne pepper with water in a spray bottle. Spray this fiery mixture around the usual entry points and along the trails where ants march.

For an even more potent punch, sprinkle straight cayenne pepper directly on ant paths and near their hideouts. Just be careful—cayenne is seriously spicy, so handle it with care and keep it away from your eyes, babies, and pets.

Thyme

Thyme is another scent that messes with ants’ pheromone trails, making it hard for them to coordinate and find food. To use thyme as an ant repellent, you can go fresh or dry. Sprinkle thyme generously in areas where ants are a problem, like windowsills and doorways.

Or try this for a longer-lasting solution: steep some thyme leaves in boiling water, let it cool, then pour it into a spray bottle. Mist the thyme water around areas where you’ve seen ants.

Lavender

The intense fragrance of lavender oil or dried lavender disrupts the ants’ navigation, making it a super great natural deterrent. To make your home a no-go zone for ants, try placing dried lavender bunches in areas they like to hang out.

You can also whip up a quick spray by adding 10 to 20 drops of lavender oil to a cup of water in a spray bottle. Spray this around entry points and ant trails.

Lemongrass Essential Oil

Lemongrass essential oil is a nightmare for ants. The strong, citrusy scent wreaks havoc on their chemical receptors, basically throwing their navigation systems into chaos.

For a DIY ant repellent, mix a few drops of lemongrass essential oil with water in a spray bottle and mist the areas where ants are active. Or, if you want to keep it even simpler, soak cotton balls in lemongrass oil and tuck them near potential entry points.

Either way, ants will steer clear, and your home will smell nice and clean.

Coffee Grounds

Turns out, your morning coffee can help more than just your wake-up routine, it can also keep ants away! While we might love the smell of coffee, ants find it pretty disgusting.

Spreading used coffee grounds around your home’s perimeter, garden beds, or along ant trails can effectively repel these pesky invaders. Not only does this hack keep ants away, but coffee grounds also enrich the soil with nitrogen, making them great for plant growth.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree’s potent aroma is highly offensive to ants, disrupting their sensory cues and making your home a no-go zone for them. Mix 5-10 drops of tea tree oil with two cups of water in a spray bottle. Mist this solution in corners, along baseboards, and at entry points where ants are spotted.

For a more targeted approach, soak cotton balls in tea tree oil and place them directly in ant-prone areas. This will keep the ants away and leave your space smelling clean and fresh.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon’s strong scent is a natural ant repellent, and ground cinnamon can even act as a physical barrier, suffocating ants by blocking their breathing passages. To keep ants away, you can sprinkle ground cinnamon at their entry points or along trails where you’ve seen them marching.

For a spray solution, mix cinnamon powder with water and spritz it around windows, doors, and other ant hotspots.

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemums do double duty in your garden: they’re not only pretty, but also a potent ant repellent. Thanks to pyrethrins—a natural insecticide found in these flowers—ants will think twice before crossing their path. If you want to keep ants at bay, consider planting chrysanthemums around your home’s foundation or in your garden as a colorful barrier.

For immediate results, you can also look for chrysanthemum-based insecticides, which are great for treating areas where ants frequent.

Chalk and Baby Powder

Sometimes the easiest solutions are the most surprising. Chalk and baby powder are both made from calcium carbonate, which messes with ants’ ability to follow their scent trails. Plus, the powdery texture is a big turnoff for these critters. To keep ants out, draw thick lines with chalk or sprinkle baby powder across their common entry points and paths.