Many people use coconut oil in their kitchens for multiple purposes, but they have no idea that it is a good source of energy for ants.
Does Coconut Oil Attract Ants? Coconut oil attracts ants as it has a strong smell that can gain the attention of these insects as they have extraordinary smelling capabilities. Moreover, it has a high-fat content consumed by these insects and stored as energy for use in winter when they cannot collect food due to low temperature. In addition, high carbohydrate content and intense smell can also grab their attention.
Coconut oil is a good source of fat that can also help improve the living standards of ants by providing saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.
Moreover, it is checked that some of its fatty acids can act as an ant-repellant and have a long-lasting effect.
Are ants attracted to coconut oil?
Any food source that is rich in essential nutrients like fat or protein attracts ants.
They prefer to consume the nutrients that provide instant energy and help them store them for future use. They can extract essential nutrients from coconut oil and use them for better survival.
Furthermore, it can provoke their different species like Tapinoma and Dolichoderus to come on the litter when you dispose of the food cooked in it.
Why do ants like coconut oil?
It is rich in fat content as almost 100ml of the oil contains almost 99% of saturated and unsaturated fats. The saturated fatty acid is nearly 88 to 90%, while unsaturated ones are almost 9 to 12%.
It provides an excellent opportunity for ants to get pure fat content from the oil, and big-headed insects rush towards the food source with a better aroma and fat content.
Most commonly, you can see fire and grease ants on the greasy food and wrappers of fast food in the garbage having enough oil for these to eat.
In addition, it has a strong sweet smell if it is a virgin oil but gives off a neutral odor when they are refined. So their smell can trigger the smell receptors of these insects to attack it.
They need an ideal quantity of fat to improve their lifespan, as the absence of fats can threaten their survival. In addition, they find it hard to survive in unfavorable weather without stored energy.
What type of oils attracts ants?
Ants have different requirements for food, as some need proteins, while a few rely on fatty foods according to their body requirements.
In addition, some of them need a balanced combination of all nutrients to live a healthy life.
It is seen that ants suffer from malnutrition when they are given a low carbohydrate and protein-rich diet.
So, they prefer to use some oils of better consistency and smell that can help improve their diets, like those extracted from vegetables and nuts.
Moreover, olive and peanut oil are also considered by ants in addition to coconut oil when they are looking for fats and greases.
Accordingly, you can see them straying over the oil-cooked dishes or deep-fried food items like fast food or wrappers with some greasy substance on them.
What type of oils do ants not like?
Ants are not attracted to all oil types and can differentiate them based on smell and texture.
Some essential oils act as a repellant for these insects and prevent their entry into areas where such products or bottles are present.
Moreover, they do not like the smell of peppermint oil that is widely used in sprays to prevent them, like tea tree or lavender oil.
The citrus oils like lime, tangerine, and orange cannot get their attention and helps cut off the scent trail of pheromones.
In addition, clove oil is known to kill these insects whenever they come in direct contact with it and disrupt the pheromone trail.
In the same way, combining clove and tea tree oil can work well against ants and kill these tiny creatures naturally without using toxic powders.
So, they prefer to remain at a distance from them due to the irritating smell.
What type of ants like coconut oil?
Ants have different behavior and requirements to survive as their body demands different types of nutrients according to species type.
The greasy ants are commonly found on the greasy surface, where some stains of coconut oil are present. Moreover, the sugar ants come to it when it is a virgin oil, as they have a sweet smell.
Moreover, Tapinoma and Dolichoderus, are the two species of these insects present in the food in the trash bin.
Can coconut oil repel ants?
Coconut oil has the potential to attract ants, so many people use it to kill them. However, it is effective in getting rid of the household pests that find it attractive and eat it.
They can die when they consume fatty acids, which work like insecticides and make their carcasses disappear quickly, but the oil has no harsh effect on them.
You have to mix some toxic ingredients like boric acid so that when these insects come to consume it, they will also eat boric acid and die.
In addition, you can mix some strong scents or essential oils like peppermint or tea tree to repel them from an area and keep them at a reasonable distance.
How to stop ants from reaching the coconut oil?
It is not difficult to tackle annoying pests like ants in a kitchen or cabinet with coconut oil bottles. However, you have to practice some preventive measures to restrict their entry into the kitchen.
In addition, many people use it for distraction as these insects can follow the drops and get out of the house when these drops are extended to the exterior part of the house.
Cover cooked food properly
Many people use vegetable oils like olive and coconut oil to cook foods or add them as a topping to develop a fantastic taste.
In the same way, you can also find their use in baked items in a reasonable amount as some sweets are prepared in it.
So, you have to cover these food items adequately to avoid the spread of smell that can attract insects toward them. Keep the food waste covered in the bins to avoid entering it.
Clean the greasy surfaces
It is essential to clean the greasy surfaces.
Moreover, you have to keep the bottle clean as some drops can remain on the outer surface of the bottle when you are using it.
A single drop is sufficient for these tiny creatures to absorb nutrients, so you have to be careful about the cleaning practices.
Use citrus peel spray
Use lemon or orange peels to prepare a spray to stop insects from reaching a particular area.
Collect all the peels and put them in a single pot. Cover the peels with a sufficient quantity of water, or you can add water and vinegar in 1:1.
After that, put it on the stove and heat it until steam begins to appear from it. Allow it to cool overnight in the same pot, and then pour it into a bottle after staining.
Furthermore, you can use this spray in areas with a risk of ants coming and sprinkle it on the possible entryways to reduce the chances of their attack.
Store in sealed containers
It is better to keep the food items in sealed containers, particularly the sweet ones or those with a strong, attractive smell.
You have to keep the sweet items in sealed boxes that are not easily chewable by them as it is easy for them to chew thin plastic with their strong jaws and reach inside the sealing.
Spread baking soda
You can prepare a baking soda mixture by adding an equal amount of powdered sugar.
The powdered sugar can attract ants as they like to eat sweet food items, but baking soda can kill them due to its high toxicity.
Keep the mixed powder in shallow lids or small bowls to allow these insects to come and attack the sugar content.
What do people say about this?
I surveyed 739 people to know whether ants are attracted to coconut oil or run away from it to improve their life.
Out of 739 people, 561 people (76%) said it has the potential to attract these insects as they are always searching for food all time, including fatty sources.
However, 133 people (18%) said it cannot attract insects as they have never seen them around the bottles of coconut oils.
While the remaining 45 people (6%) said they prefer a protein-rich diet, some ant species rely on grease or fat content to live.
They can reach the bottles if you do not clean their outer surface properly after using them, and some drops remain on them.
“I found a few ants on the bottle of coconut oil that was moving for some nutrition.”
Some ant species prefer to eat greasy food and are attracted to fats and oils.
“I have seen them around the spills of sweet juices and molasses but do not find them on oil bottles and drops.”
The sweet smell and high-fat content make it attractive to insects, including ants.
“I think they are attracted to this oil due to the strong smell that can allure us.”
Related Articles:
