As temperatures rise during spring and summer, ants become more prevalent, often entering homes through open windows and doors. While many resort to harsh chemical products, a natural alternative may already be in your kitchen cupboard: cinnamon.
Cleaning expert and TikTok creator Chantel Mila recommends combining water and cinnamon in a spray bottle and applying the solution around windows and entry points. Alternatively, ground cinnamon can be scattered along ant trails, windowsills, and doorways, while cinnamon sticks can be placed in pantries or cabinets where ants gather.
Cinnamon contains the compound cinnamaldehyde, which disrupts the pheromone trails that ants use to navigate and locate food. Ismael Girard, CEO of Pest Agent, explained to Martha Stewart: "This substance tampers with ants' pheromone trails, making it harder for them to navigate toward their food sources or return to their colonies. Ants find the 'smell barricade' uncomfortable to cross."
While cinnamon is effective as a repellent, it does not kill ants. Nicole Carpenter, president of Black Pest Prevention, told Martha Stewart: "The scent of cinnamon itself doesn't kill ants. However, it makes the life of ants much more difficult." Nathan Kruger, owner of D-termination Pest Control, added to The Spruce: "This aromatic spice acts as an olfactory deterrent, repelling ants without causing them immediate harm."
Ants are particularly sensitive to strong scents, and other natural deterrents include citrus, tea-tree, lavender, and rose. Zoflora noted that these aromas can all serve as reliable alternatives to chemical repellents.
