Ants are most active during the warmer months, particularly between June and September, when warmer temperatures and increased humidity create optimal conditions for foraging and colony growth. When faced with ants in the home, many of us contemplate how to eliminate them as quickly as possible.

Chemical remedies are one way to deter ants from your home, but natural alternatives are much kinder to these important creatures. Ants play crucial roles in their ecosystems, including soil aeration, nutrient cycling, and seed dispersal, and their presence can even help control populations of other insects. Fortunately, there's a simple cupboard item that does the job without killing ants.

A concerned Mumsnet user asked the forum how to get rid of ants while experiencing "ongoing ant issues" in her kitchen and living room.

The user, named 'girliefriend', wrote: "I have no idea where they are coming from. I am borderline OCD about keeping surfaces clean and making sure no food is left out, but pretty much every day when I get in from work, they are climbing all over the cupboards and floor—it is starting to really get me down!"

Cleaning fanatics chimed in with a suggestion of using cinnamon to get rid of the insects.

One user wrote: "Last year, I discovered that sprinkling powdered cinnamon along the bottom of external doors seems to stop them coming in.

"I've been told that if you draw a chalk line around door frames, they won't cross it. I haven't tried the chalk, but the cinnamon seems to work."

How to repel ants with cinnamon

According to Katie Lilywhite, AO’s floorcare expert, there are various ways to use cinnamon to keep ants at bay beyond sprinkling the ground spice around your home.

She told Ideal Home: "Adding a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or cinnamon oil to your floor cleaner is a simple, chemical-free trick that can help keep ants at bay, especially in high-traffic areas like kitchens and doorways."

If all you have at home is cinnamon sticks, you can boil them in water for 10-15 minutes to make cinnamon-infused water.

Allow the boiled water to cool slightly before removing the sticks, then add the cinnamon water to your mop bucket. 

This may be a better option for delicate surfaces where powdered cinnamon may be too abrasive on unfinished wood and natural stone. 

How does cinnamon deter ants?

Ismael Girard, CEO of Pest Agent, explained that cinnamaldehyde, the main ingredient in cinnamon, might irritate ants.

He said: "This substance tampers with ants' pheromone trails, making it harder for them to navigate toward their food sources or return to their colonies."

Ground cinnamon can be picked up at your local supermarket for less than £1 if you don’t already have some kicking around your cupboard, while 100ml of cinnamon oil can be picked up for £7.58 at Amazon.