Ants Hate Lemon Juice and Bay Leaves

Written by Doris Donnerman (last updated July 26, 2008)

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If you have children and pets, and are hesitant to use harmful chemicals, insecticides, and pesticides to kill the ants in and around your home, try natural ingredients to repel ants. While pesticides will kill insects, many can also kill vegetation such as hedges, lawns, trees, and flowers. Insecticide fumes are harmful to breath, and your pet or child may accidently ingest ant bait you've set down to kill the ants. It's a fact that ants hate citrus-based foods and juices, as well as ingredients that smell of mint, cloves, or bay leaves. The next time you spot ants in or around your home, put that can of bug spray down, and try using lemon juice and bay leaves, following these guidelines:

  • Cut a lemon in half and rub it all around your doorways, including the door jambs and thresholds.
  • Squeeze lemon juice into the cracks around the foundation of your home.
  • The next time you clean your kitchen and bathroom countertops, squeeze lemon juice onto your sponge during the rinse process, applying a thin layer of the juice to all surfaces.
  • Sprinkle grated lemon peel in your flower garden, on your hedges, and around ant hills in your lawn.
  • Grind dried bay leaves into dust and sprinkle it on top of ant hills in your yard.
  • Buy whole bay leaves and fashion sachets with them, using a length of pantyhose or mesh. Place the small sachets in your pantry, kitchen cupboards, drawers, bathrooms, closets, or anywhere you've seen ants scurrying about.
  • For a double whammy, combine lemon juice with ground bay leaves to form a paste. Smear the paste on the underside of the thresholds on the doors of your home.
  • Place an open container of bay leaves next to the dry goods in your pantry, such as flour, sugar, and corn meal.
  • Squirt lemon juice directly onto a trail of ants. The ants that escape will run back to the ant hill, carrying the lemon juice on its antenna, polluting the entire colony, shutting it down for good.

There are myriad ways to use lemon juice and bay leaves as an ant repellent. Get creative and think of other ways to use the two natural ingredients to rid your home of ants.

Author Bio

Doris Donnerman

Doris is a jack of all trades, writing on a variety of topics. Her articles have helped enlighten and entertain thousands over the years. ...

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Comments

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What is six minus 4?

2018-06-09 10:01:43

Ronda Jackson

Hi,
Any suggestions on a natural way to repel /get rid of mice? My friend just recently brought a house and now all of a sudden he has mice. Help


2018-05-16 23:53:48

Janet Bernasconi

I live in Florida and obviously am surrounded by insects but the other day I happened to use Clorox disinfecting wipes.lemon scent to clean my bathroom. I kept seeing ants and could't find anything that would get rid of them until I used those wipes. I had no idea ants hate lemon. I love lemon scent and will be buying lemons from now on and put it everywhere!..lol problem solved. Thanks for the tips 😁👍


2017-05-31 22:45:50

Donna

I had some ants start coming up onto the stove. I put some bay leaf pics down and they immediately came over and climbed all over them and more showed up there.


2016-09-23 10:59:57

Maxine Talbot

I AM GOING TO TRY THE LEMON AND THE BAY LEAF,
HOWEVER I DO HAVE ANTS ON MY LEMON TREE
LEAVES !! I DON;T HAVE MUCH FAITHE THAT THIS
WILL WORK. THEY SEEM TO LIKE THE TREE !!
IT IS ALL ALONE IN THE YARD ANDNOT NEXT TO ANY OTHER TREES OR PLANTS.


2016-07-10 14:37:11

Amanda

Thanks for tip its a big help but can I use this tip in my car I sprayed and omg I nearly chocked.
I'm very skittish as it is so its not ideal when im driving my car so please if anyone can help would be great.
I have children and a pet dog so something safe is needed


2015-06-01 15:05:53

Jan

THANK YOU !!! Here I have a lemon tree with lemons dropping on the ground, no wonder the ants stay away from my tree!! I needed just what you said to do, without spending more money for my garden and one chicken,,, ants all over her food today, in the 90s hot,,, so thank you so much for this tip. Will get some bay leaves at the 99c store also.


2015-04-14 10:12:36

sharonclayton60

I have little bitty ants.I hate them! Thank you for helping me out!!


2015-04-14 10:11:22

sharon k clayton

I have little bitty ants.I hate them! Thank you for helping me out!!


2013-06-24 04:39:23

Jill

Whole cloves can be used in place of moth balls when storing clothing items for the winter. Moth and bug larvae don't like the smell.


2012-12-09 14:28:52

amador

if i was to place lemon juice in a spray bottle and put bayleafs in the bottle so they can ferment, will that do the trick on warding off the ants around the house? because i already mixed up a spray bottle of that stuff.