Ants help us more than we give them credit for. Unlike most pests, they are clean insects and do not leave their droppings and eggs all over. The only fault of theirs, however, is that they destroy food. When ants get to stored food they can make the food impossible to eat. Therefore, ants inside a house need to be dealt with.

Ant infestations can be difficult to handle inside a house. This is because it is not a good idea to use harsh chemicals in a home since people might be exposed to these poisonous chemicals. In a garden it is possible to use pesticides to get rid of ants. However, in a garden the ants will actually be of much greater use than they are pests. Ants get rid of unnecessary growths in gardens such as fungi and other small pests so that you do not have to worry about them. Yet, ant hills and such could be a menace. For this reason, it is best to allow ants to live in your garden while making sure they do not create ant hills and destroy your garden.

It is very likely that the ants that live in your garden are the very ants that come into the house in search of food. The most common food that ants are attracted to, are those high in sugars. An ant infestation inside your home can, therefore, easily be prevented by keeping all food stored in a way it is not exposed to open air. However, if ants have invaded your home, you are going to want to use the most natural methods to get rid of them.

Natural ant control can be done with the use of common ingredients found around the house. The most popular of these natural ant control methods is to use talcum powder around the areas infested with ants. In addition, ant trails should be followed and talcum powder sprinkled on them to break the trails. When ant trails are broken, the ants will stop coming back.

Using cinnamon and black pepper are to other natural ant control methods. Like the talcum powder, the spices should be sprinkled in infested areas and ant trails. A further step for natural ant control is to carefully follow the trail to the source outside the house and then the spices sprinkled at this point, so that the ants remain outside the house and do not come in.

Vinegar is another ingredient that is ideal for natural ant control. Vinegar not only acts as an ant repellant, but also acts as a disinfectant when you are cleaning your house, especially in areas such as the kitchen. While it can be used straight, it is best to dilute the vinegar before using it for natural ant control. Bay leaves and cloves are also spices that can be used for natural ant control, yet they are not as effective as vinegar, pepper, or cinnamon.