Do peppermint oil or vinegar keep ants away?
Not for long. Strong smells can break a trail for a while, but they never reach the nest, so the ants come back. Vinegar is good for one job: wiping the trail. Here is the cheap plan that works.
A strong smell can break an ant trail for a day or so, and that is why people swear by it. But it never reaches the nest, so the ants find a new route and come back. The plan that actually works is cheap too. It just is not peppermint.
Why smells do not solve it
Ants find food by following a scent trail laid by the ones before them. Wipe that trail with anything strong and they lose the way for a while. Meanwhile the nest, with its queen, carries on. It sends out new scouts, they find the food again or a way round your barrier, and the trail is back.
Peppermint oil, vinegar, cinnamon, lines of talc or chalk: all the same story. They can make ants detour. None of them gets rid of the nest. And some strong essential oils are harmful to cats, so they are not a gentle option either.
What vinegar is good for
Wiping the trail. That really helps, because it stops more ants following the old route to your food. Warm soapy water does the same job without the smell. Use it on worktops and around food, but leave the trail alone close to any bait stations, so the ants can still find them.
Two ants on a clean worktop: should you worry?
Not yet. Ants turn up in clean kitchens all the time, often scouts checking for food or water. Wipe the spot, put food away and watch. If no trail forms in the next few days, that may be the end of it.
One exception. If they are large ants and you keep seeing them indoors, especially in winter, they could be carpenter ants nesting in damp wood. See how many carpenter ants is a problem.
The cheap plan that works
- Remove the food. Sweet things in sealed tubs or the fridge, crumbs swept up, the bin emptied, pet bowls lifted between meals.
- Wipe the trail with soapy water or vinegar.
- Bait the trail. Enclosed ant bait stations, close to where the ants come in. Workers carry the bait back to the nest. Follow the label and check the product is allowed where you live. If they ignore it, see ants that ignore bait.
- Wait. Expect more ants at the stations for a few days. That means they are taking it home.
- Seal the way in once it goes quiet. Our guide to sealing gaps shows how.
That is a pack of bait stations and a tube of sealant. For most kitchen ants, no call-out needed.
Kids and pets: put bait stations behind furniture or appliances where children and pets cannot get at them, and never next to pet bowls. If there is nowhere out of reach, leave the bait out and rely on the other steps. See ant bait with a baby or pets.
When a professional is worth it
- The trail has not changed after a few weeks of the right bait.
- The nest is inside a wall or under a floor you cannot reach.
- The wood near the ants is damp or soft, or the winged ones look like termites.
The ant guide has the full plan.
More questions
Does spraying the ants help?
It kills the ones you see. The nest sends more. Bait reaches the nest, spray does not.
Will a line of talc or chalk stop them?
They may walk round it or over it. It does not touch the nest.
Should I pour boiling water on the ant nest in the garden?
Ants outside are part of the garden and rarely need treating. Focus on keeping them out of the house.
Is it because my kitchen is dirty?
No. Ants turn up in spotless kitchens. A trail means a scout found something, even a drop of juice.
If a product label ever says something different from this page, follow the label. Safety and labels