Many people use dryer sheets to bring an attractive fragrance to the clothes and add them to the dryer directly so that odor molecules enter deep into the fabric.
Do Dryer Sheets Keep Ants Away? Dryer sheets can keep ants away as they have a strong repelling odor that causes interference in ant trails due to active ingredients; linalool and beta-citronellol. You can use these sheets to wipe the surface or spread them on the floor, cover the bird feeder, and place them under table legs or make balls to put around the potted plant.
Many people do not know about the repelling effect of dryer sheets. You can use these to prevent ants.
Why would you use dryer sheets to keep ants away?
Dryer sheets are quite effective at keeping ants away from the desired location as they have a strong fragrance, and these insects try to stay away from unpleasing odors.
There is a risk of destruction of ant trails when you put wet sheets in their path. This is because they begin to move in a different direction after losing the trails.
In addition, it is a non-toxic and safe method to use inside homes instead of spraying harmful chemicals.
Many people prefer to use these because it is easy to spread them or wipe the surface after slightly wetting them with water.
It contains active ingredients like linalool, usually found in the plants and known to kill red imported fire ants within 1 or 2 days.
Furthermore, beta-citronellol is another undiluted chemical that makes them smell good, repel indoor pests, and remain effective for a long time.
These can remove ants from the garden and indoors by repelling them away, but they cannot kill insects due to their non-toxic nature.
How do you use dryer sheets to keep ants away?
It is pretty easy to use dryer sheets against pests as they have the potential to keep insects at a distance due to strong and unpleasant odor.
Wipe the surface with dry sheets
You can wipe dirty or infested surfaces as their strong odor dominates the pheromone trails and makes them disappear completely.
Take one sheet and spray water to make it wet slightly. It produces an odor when water enters between the narrow pores and activates the chemicals.
Wipe up the kitchen countertop surface or tabletop to reduce the chances of attack by these crawling creatures. In addition, it helps avoid the risk of food contamination and undesirable bites.
Spread the sheets on surfaces
You can also spread these on ground surfaces, having a risk of pest attacks, as their fragrance can keep them at a distance.
You have to cut it into a desirable size depending on the area, as a bigger table has wider legs usually and needs bigger pieces to cover the area properly.
Cut it into a round shape or fold it into a square according to the shape of the legs of a dining table or a console table to adequately cover the area.
Moreover, it is better to keep it a few inches longer than the width of the table legs while adjusting it under the feet and placing it on the floor.
In addition, it helps restrict the climbing behavior of ants and avoid contamination of the food tray present on the table and countertop.
Cover the bird feeder
Bird feeders are the most visited spots by ants as their food and water bowls attract these insects. In addition, these insects get attracted to seeds in the trays and bite pets after entering their cage.
You can use dryer sheets to protect pets by covering the feeder, which can be a tray or a bowl. Apply the wet sheets on the borders of the bowl to cover the periphery and restrict climbing.
Moreover, you can also put it over the bowl and fix it into its place using a rubber band. It acts as a barrier to the entry of insects and protects pets against their attacks.
Put round balls in a potted plant
Potted plants provide an ideal place due to good moisture content and nutrient-rich soil where these tiny insects can live and multiply in number.
However, it affects the nutrient uptake in plants by consuming the nutrients from the soil, making them deficient in essential minerals and other elements.
You can make small balls of sheets by sprinkling a small amount of water on them to help activate the active ingredients.
Roll up and make small balls to put them within the potted plant having an infestation. It can help avoid the incoming insects and force the colonies to leave the plant due to foul odor.
Keep in an ant-path
Ants usually form trails by releasing pheromones chemicals that can help make a long chain of insects, avoid the risk of getting lost, and return home.
You can also place them in insect paths, as trails can get disturbed when their odor dominates over the smell of pheromone molecules.
The strong odor of linalool and beta-citronellol can suppress the pheromone smell and make them confused about the movement direction. As a result, they begin to disperse or crawl in other directions.
Ball up to place in entryways
Spray a few drops of water and make balls to put in the spots that can become entry spots for these tiny insects to go indoors.
Cracks in the doors and window screens can provide a route to insects crawling on the boundary walls of the house. You can put dryer sheet balls within the windows and doors to stop them.
These balls remain effective until their odor remains or they do not get dried. You have to replace them after a few days to repel the annoying pests away from food.
How long do dryer sheets keep ants away?
Dryer sheets are effective repellents against insects and stop them from coming indoors and close to objects where these balls are placed.
You have to wipe the surfaces with them to retain their effect on the surfaces because the molecules begin to evaporate or disappear over time.
However, these have the repelling potential for only a short time and lose their property in 1 to 2 hours. Therefore, it provides protection only for 60 to 90 minutes in ideal situations.
The effectiveness begins to get reduced over time and must be replaced with another sheet if you want long-term benefits.
The repelling efficiency depends on their type, as a few have a strong fragrance and unpleasant odor, like lavender, rosemary, or others.
So, you have to choose them carefully as ants get attracted to roses, so you have to avoid them and prefer using dryer sheets having lavender or mint odor.
Related Articles:
