Ant invasions will be 'gone in 1 day' if you use 1 natural ingredient they 'run away from'

Ants are social insects that live in large colonies. The queen ant is the head of the colony, and she remains inside to lay eggs. The other ants forage for food outside and bring it back to the nest to feed their fellow ants. Ants are particularly drawn to sugary foods, which they can smell from afar.

In summer, the queen ant lays eggs prolifically, resulting in a population explosion within the nest that causes some ants to leave their home and forage for food outside. This is why you see more ants in your house during these seasons. These pests also secrete a pheromone trail when they move around that can cause other ants to follow them, resulting in an invasion of your house. To warn them away from your home, cleaning enthusiasts claimed that cinnamon is the key after one group member from the Cleaning Tips, Tricks and Hacks Facebook page asked for ant deterrents.

Karen Applin wrote: "Cinnamon works a treat. I'm limited to what I can do because of my cats. The ants run away from it (as do the cats!)."

Hollie Allen commented: "Cinnamon, chilli powder, or citrus peel. Put any of these where they are coming in, and they will soon leave. Wont hurt them but they think it's poisonous so will leave."

Debbie Bichard said, "The ants in my kitchen were gone after a day with ground cinnamon, as they can't stand the smell of it. It doesn't kill them, it stops them from going wherever they smell cinnamon."

Sabina Acheson claimed: "I've used cinnamon for three years; they don't come in now, neither carpenter ants nor sugar ants."

Debbie Baker said, "Cinnamon! It won't kill them, but it is a strong deterrent. Find the trail. Find the colony. Use cinnamon around these areas. They will move.

"Cinnamon is cheap, natural, and won't adversely affect the habitats around you. This also helps with spiders! You can make a solution of warm water and cinnamon (to dissolve) in a spray bottle. However, when dried, this can leave colour. This is perfect for outside."

Cinnamon isn't like a poison to ants, more like an eviction notice-it helps drive ants away from an infested area, but it won't wipe them out completely.

Cinnamon's secret weapon is a natural compound called cinnamaldehyde. It interferes with the way ants communicate.

Cinnamaldehyde disrupts these trails, making it harder for ants to navigate and coordinate. Without a reliable scent path to follow, they get disoriented, lose track of food, and ultimately abandon the area.

Whether you're not a fan of cinnamon's scent, looking to save money, or need something with a little more firepower, there are plenty of other natural ways to keep ants from invading.

Essential oils like peppermint, tea tree, and eucalyptus aren't just great for aromatherapy; they're also a natural way to keep ants at bay, working in the same trail-disrupting ways as cinnamon.

There's also diatomaceous earth, which might sound like something born out of a science lab, but it's a naturally occurring powder. When ants march through the powder, it sticks to them and starts soaking up the oils and moisture from their exoskeletons, drying them out and eventually killing them.