The Citrusy Kitchen Staple You Can Use To Help Deter Ants From Your Home

Spotting ants in your home, especially in the kitchen, can feel like the beginning of a nightmare. But before you reach for a chemical ant killer, the lemons in your fruit bowl could actually be put to work instead. There are many online claims that pouring infused lemon water into a spray bottle can be used as a natural way to say goodbye to ants in your home, and while there isn't any strong scientific research specifically showing that lemon peel water reliably repels ants, it is certainly worth trying.

The idea does have some legs beyond being some old wives tale — lemons are often recommended as a more natural way to help deter ants because the fruit's strong citrus scent and acidic juice can interfere with ant's pheromone trails. You can either mix one part lemon juice with three parts water in a spray bottle or simply squeeze lemon juice directly onto windowsills, door frames, countertops, baseboards, or anywhere where you think ants could be entering your home. This may be enough to discourage small amounts of ants without relying on commercial insecticide.

This natural remedy will work regardless of the type of ant you have found, as many common household ant species use pheromone trails to recruit other ants. But it should be noted that lemon juice should not be relied upon alone to solve an infestation or a bigger problem. 

To make lemon juice work in the most successful way, it should be paired with other general prevention methods such as cleaning up crumbs and sugary spills immediately, storing your pantry items in airtight containers, and sealing the gaps around doors, windows, and pipes where ants could be coming in from. Ideally, it's attacking on multiple fronts that will keep ants away — removing the food sources that are attracting them and closing off their entry points will always work most effectively. And if you notice an ongoing presence of ants, then a bait treatment or professional pest-control solution may be your better option. But as part of a broader prevention routine, especially if you live somewhere prone to attracting ants, then a little lemon juice is an inexpensive, great-smelling and low-effort way to ensure your home stays as uninviting to these creepy crawlies as possible.