- Many insects will go out of their way to avoid peppermint plants and anything that smells like peppermint, including the essential oil contained in the leaves. Ants are attracted to sweet-smelling things, but the strong scent of peppermint makes them recoil. The oil is not toxic to the ants, but it can be used to divert ant trails and to clean up and hide the scent of an ant trail.
- Brew up a pot of peppermint tea. Once its cooled, place it in a spray bottle and spray the area where you want to repel ants. Or, add a few drops of peppermint oil to a spray bottle filled with water, and use that mixture to spray the area. A longer lasting solution is to rub concentrated peppermint oil into areas where ants are hiding, such as cracks in a cement path around your garden. The best solution might be to forgo the oil entirely and plant peppermint plants around the perimeter of your garden.
- The use of peppermint oil temporarily repels ants. Once the scent fades or is absorbed into the ground, the ants will return. In addition, they might try to go around the area that has been sprinkled with the oil. Because peppermint oil is not toxic, some home gardeners add cayenne pepper to the solution in order to kill ants on contact.
- Think carefully whether you want to use peppermint to repel ants in your garden. Although ants are a pest in the house, they are actually beneficial in gardens. They loosen the soil and decompose organic matter. Some ants even feed on more harmful insect pests, such as termites.
Peppermint and Insects
Methods for Use
Issues and Problems
Other Considerations
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