Ants do not like strong odors and prefer to stay away from them as their overpowering smell can threaten their chemical cues.
Do Ants Like Lavender Scent? Ants do not like lavender scent due to its strong and unpleasant odor that can mask the effect of pheromones. In addition, it contains a linalool compound that can produce a dominating smell and disrupt their trail. However, it is a safe and effective ant repellent when sprayed as a solution or used as sprinkled powder on infested areas.
Lavender oil produced from the plant is widely used to repel ants or other indoor pests as its powerful fragrance irritates many insects, including spiders.
Why do ants not like the lavender scent?
Ants rely on chemical cues or pheromone trails to perform most of their functions, including locating food sources, hauling particles back to the nest, and carrying dead members.
They leave a particular scent on the ground when heading toward the food source, as this trail can help them return to their nest without forgetting the route to home.
Moreover, they have to reach the death spot to carry the dead fellow and bury it in the nest chamber. They do not like the lavender scent due to its dominating and unpleasant odor.
A chemical compound, linalool, is abundant in this plant, which can repel these insects even if this plant is present at a distance.
These insects do not like the odor of a few plants like basil and rosemary, in addition to this plant, as they have dominating fragrances that can mask off the pheromone scent trails.
It will be difficult for these tiny creatures to return home without chemical cues when they get wiped out by the strong scent of the plant.
Can you use lavender to get rid of ants?
Lavender is an effective ant repellent due to its unpleasant odor that can help keep these insects away from the kitchen or garden and protect other plants from damage.
You can choose this plant to get rid of ants instead of using harsh chemicals or insecticides if you do not have a heavy infestation or a small population of these insects is sharing your place.
It is good to use due to its mild scent that does not irritate your nose receptors, but these insects avoid going closer to the odor and prefer to remain away from the place.
In addition, it can also be deadly for these tiny creatures when they come in direct contact with the essential oil prepared from this plant. It contains toxic compounds that can make them die.
Therefore, you can use it as a repellent to keep these insects away from your house and create a beautiful aroma inside the house.
How do you use lavender to get rid of ants?
You can use lavender in different ways to remove ants from your house, as it can be used in the form of plant or dry powder. In addition, you can prepare a spray for direct spraying.
Sprinkle dried lavender plants
These dried plants are equally effective as fresh plants that can help keep pests away from the house. You can dry it to make a fine powder or sprinkle crushed pieces on the floor.
You can put the sachets of crushed pieces of the plant on desired places, like windows and kitchen countertops, to keep them at a distance.
In addition, spread these dried plants on the infested areas or the places where these can reach or are frequently visited to avoid the risk of contamination.
Mix with a carrier oil
You can mix the lavender essential oil with other carrier oils, like olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower, argon, and sweet almond oil, to improve its effectiveness.
It is a perfect combination of repelling oils that can be used to wipe out the surfaces where ants navigate, as it will remove the trails.
You can dip cotton balls in this mixture of oils to put them on different spots that can keep these insects away until they remain wet or completely evaporated.
Moreover, it is effective against ants in pure form, or a mixture of oils can also help get control over them.
Use lavender oil spray
You can mix lavender oil in water to make a spraying solution that can help repel insects away. For example, mix 10 to 15 drops of essential oil in a cup filled with water.
Stir the solution well and pour it into a spray bottle for easier handling. Shake the spraying bottle for a few seconds to mix the ingredients and prepare a solution.
After that, look for the trail of ants and spray the solution directly on their bodies. It will take a few minutes to make these insects leave the spot and move in another direction.
In addition, you can spray the solution on risky areas to prevent the attack of these nuisance pests and avoid food contamination.
However, you have to spray frequently as its effect remains for a short duration, and the scent disappears in some time as the oils evaporate.
Use lavender oil cotton balls
You can prepare lavender cotton balls by dipping them inside the solution prepared with dried plant powder or soaking fresh plants in water.
In addition, its essential oil can be mixed in water, as a few drops of the oil can leave a dominant aroma in the solution.
Prepare small cotton balls or get them from the market to make repelling balls. Dip these cotton balls in the prepared solution and keep them soaked.
After that, remove the balls after a few minutes and put them in different corners of the house to get rid of various indoor pests.
Furthermore, you can mix other essential oils like peppermint or lemon to make them more effective repellents and keep pests at bay.
Grow a lavender plant
You can grow a plant in the garden to get long-term benefits as it can keep these insects away from the garden and plants for a long time.
Keep the plant in light as it needs sunlight exposure for almost 7 to 8 hours. It is better to keep it in a shady area on a sunny day as they need a moist environment to produce flowers.
So, its smell prevails in the surroundings and resists their entry to indoor areas as they change movement direction if they identify any repelling odor.
Is it safe to use lavender as an ant-repellent?
Lavender is an environment-friendly flowering plant that can be used indoors to control the ant population and avoid the risk of biting and infections.
You can also apply the essential oil on your skin after dilution to keep yourself safe from bites against fire, carpenter, crazy, and many other species of ants.
It is considered a natural repellent and needs to be tested to control insects before using harsh chemicals like DEET that are not suitable for the environment.
Moreover, its overpowering odor can help remove these insects in a friendly way without killing them brutally. It remains effective until its odor remains as fresh plant repels for many weeks.
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