Although ants may not be the peskiest of pests that can invade your home—those awards usually go to termites and roaches—they can still be an extreme annoyance from which you wish to be free. Read on and discover a few DIY ways that you can rid yourself from ants. If these methods are continually unsuccessful for you, consider calling on the services of a commercial pest-control service, such as Paffy's Pest Control.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is an excellent deterrent for keeping ants out of your home. The smell will generally confuse and repel ants from any areas of your home in which they can find food, namely the kitchen. Simply dissolve ½ of a teaspoon of cinnamon oil into a full cup of water. Then soak a cotton ball or other absorbent material in the solution. Wipe down the areas of your home which you suspect or know that ants are dwelling. Ground cinnamon can also be placed in areas where you believe ants are entering your home. Make sure that you only use the solution in areas in which you know ants to dwell. If you use too much, the saccharine smell can be too much for even humans to handle.

Dish Soap

Liquid dish soap is an excellent way of getting rid of any insect pests, including ants, that invade your home. The liquid dish soap essentially suffocates the ants. Take a teaspoon of baking soda and one of liquid dish soap, and allow them both to dissolve in a full cup of water. Spread this solution where you believe ants are entering your home. Alternately, you can take a spray bottle and fill it up with both water and liquid dish soap. Make sure to shake it up and spray it where you believe or know ants are dwelling. Usually within hours, you will be able to see a line of dead ants ready for you to clean them up.

Vinegar

Like with cinnamon, ants cannot stand the smell of vinegar, especially white vinegar. In addition to this, ants communicate by leaving a scent trail in their wake, alerting the rest of their colony to where food is located. White vinegar effectively masks this scent, which will greatly confuse and scatter the ants. Simply mix an equal part of water and vinegar in a spray bottle and drop in a few drops of cinnamon essential oil for measure. Shake the bottle and spray it around area where you believe ants are entering your home. Simply repeat this on a day-to-day basis until you've rid yourself of your ant problem.