Ants Hate This Citrus Peel, So Leave It In Your Kitchen To Keep Them Out

Despite their small size, ants can be a big nuisance in the kitchen. So once you spot that first trail of marching ants, you're on a mission to get rid of them. Ants can fit through even the tiniest gaps, and they're not daunted by gravity, allowing them to take any route to reach even the smallest crumbs of food. Before you opt for harsh chemicals, which might not be safe to use where you prepare food, reach for oranges to get rid of ants in your kitchen.

Oranges have high levels of d-limonene, a chemical compound in citrus oil that can both deter and kill ants. D-limonene has a strong smell that can overwhelm the ants' sensory system and disrupt the scent trails that ants use to communicate and find food.

The chemical is found in the rind of the orange, so you don't have to waste any fruit to try this natural insect repellent. Simply save kitchen scraps that would otherwise go in the trash. To try it, leave the peels anywhere you've seen ants, or in front of any potential entry points. You can also rub the peel directly on the countertop to spread the scent. This won't kill the ants, but if you don't yet have a heavy infestation, it can be enough to keep the ants from returning. The scent will fade over time, so repeat the process with fresh orange peel regularly.

For a more powerful solution, you can create a natural ant spray by boiling orange peels for 10 minutes to extract the d-limonene, letting it cool, then straining it into an empty spray bottle. Alternatively, try soaking the peels in white vinegar for about two weeks for an even more concentrated version. The vinegar has a strong scent that's similarly off-putting to ants. This spray can be used throughout the kitchen as a humane deterrent or sprayed directly on the ants to kill them because d-limonene can dissolve the protective exoskeleton on ants' respiratory systems, causing them to suffocate.

If you don't eat oranges, there's no need to buy them just for this purpose. D-limonene is present in the peels of all citrus fruits, which is why these clove-studded lemons make a great general bug deterrent. However, orange peels contain d-limonene in very high concentrations, with up to 97% of the essential oil containing the substance.

Whether you simply sprinkle the peels around or choose to make a spray, you should still be taking further action to protect your kitchen from ants. First and foremost, make sure you're not leaving food residue on counters and that food is stored in airtight containers. But ants can also enter kitchens to find water, so now is the time to fix any leaks. Finally, don't forget you can start the battle against ants before they even enter your home by putting coffee grounds on your patio.