Spring is on its way! Insects are on the move!
I've been staying in my friend's guest house for the past couple of months. It is great...warm and cozy.
Now that it is starting to warm up just a bit, I've been seeing some ants in the kitchen. I am not a fan of ants. I keep the kitchen clean...really!
I seemed to remember that peppermint oil would act as a repellent, so this morning I did an online search. I found a recipe that sounded easy and with the addition of citronella and lavender, I thought it was worth a try.
All that's needed is:
- a small fine-mist spray bottle
- 15 drops of Peppermint essential oil
- 5 drops of citronella essential oil
- 5 drops of lavender essential oil
- 1.5 ounces of rubbing alcohol
- 1.5 ounces of distilled water
Just put all the ingredients in the spray bottle, and shake before each use.
I've sprayed along the window frame which seemed like it might be their entry point, as well as along the back splash and around the sink. I didn't expect it to be lethal to them, but the ones that were in the aim of my spray (which, let's be honest, was every single ant I saw) dropped dead pretty much immediately. Now the ant traffic has slowed dramatically, and I hope that it will continue to.
The peppermint smells really good as does the lavender. I'm not crazy about the scent of citronella, but I like it better than ants!
Cayenne pepper, I seem to remember is a good ant repellent. Yours sounds nicer, though ..
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