Everyone is spending more time outdoors to soak up as much sun as possible before summer ends, but this time of year also means there are more ants crawling around. I usually do not mind ants in my garden, as they are fantastic pollinators, but lately I have noticed them on my cherry tree, picking at the fruit and going near my dog’s water bowl on the doorstep during hot days.

It might seem obvious to simply spray them with an insect repellent, but I hate using toxic chemicals near my pets, and I also do not want to accidentally spray any crops that are almost ready to be harvested. However, after doing a little experimentation and digging around my kitchen cupboard, I have now discovered a very simple way to repel ants. All you need is an acidic ingredient like white vinegar. 

Ants tend to be a problem in summer, as they are cold-blooded, and when the weather heats up it increases their metabolism, which means they need to search for more food.

As a result, a swarm of ants can quickly make its way into your garden and even your home if they can smell anything sugary nearby.

However, white vinegar is strong enough to destroy ant pheromone trails, which are how ants navigate and communicate with their colony, making it difficult for them to find food. 

White vinegar also has a very pungent and acidic smell that overwhelms an ant’s scent receptors, which makes them avoid an area altogether.

What is fantastic about white vinegar is that it repels ants while also being safe to use around my dog without worrying about him breathing in toxic fumes.

How to get rid of ants and repel them for good

I put some white vinegar and water in a spray bottle and gave it a good shake.

Then, when I finish work in the late afternoon, I take my dog and spray the solution on my doorstep, near my plants, and anywhere else I want to keep ants away.

It only takes 10 seconds at most, but this daily habit has stopped ants from destroying my garden and repelled them from my doorstep, so I can also let my dog run around without worrying about them biting him. 

If you do not have white vinegar, you can use lemon juice instead. I sometimes also mix cinnamon into my ant repellent, as ants hate its strong scent. 

However, it has now been 15 days, and I am delighted to say that since using this simple white vinegar trick, I have not noticed any ants being a nuisance, which means both my dog and I can enjoy the rest of the summer in peace.