Warmer weather can lead to an increase in insects and pests coming into your home, but there is a simple way to get rid of them.
People have been searching the internet for tips and advice on the best ways to rid their homes and gardens from everything from ants and fruit flies, to bigger insects like wasps. However, some of the simplest remedies can be made using store cupboard ingredients costing less than £1.
Fans of Mrs Hinch on Facebook communities and TikTok alike have been discussing a simple and non-toxic way to get rid of ants. Ants tend to be one of the first insects that become more visible as the weather warms up.
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Pest control expert Adam Juson, of Merlin Environmental said: "Like most other insects, ants become more active in the summer months, as they mate and start to build new nests. Unfortunately, for many of us, that means a home invasion.
"Ants enter our homes for three main reasons, for warmth, water and food. In late spring and early summer it still gets cold overnight. Our houses provide the shelter they need. Their need for water is why you will often find ants in downstairs bathrooms, or under the kitchen sink.
"We have a lot of food in our homes, and we’re not always particular about storing it. If your bin is open, or you don’t clear your plates every evening, you’re creating an ant smorgasbord. But it’s more than that. Packets that aren’t properly sealed in your cupboards, a fruit bowl on the side, a half-eaten chocolate bar set aside for later. They are all banquets for an ant."
While larger infestations might see you calling on a professional exterminator for help, there are simpler ways to sort out the problem. "The first step is always to remove any open food packets, seal all food into airtight containers, and wipe down all surfaces, including the inside of your fridge," said Adam.
"Then you can take one of a number of actions. If you’ve only seen a few ants, natural remedies, such as cleaning surfaces with white vinegar, can help."
White vinegar is easily available in supermarkets and online and can be a cheap and effective way to kill and repel ants as well as being a natural cleaning agent. Mix one part vinegar with one part water and clean hard surfaces like floors and countertops, wherever ants are likely to travel.
The acidity in the vinegar makes it effective not just against ants - it also works on other insects and spiders. For people who find the smell off-putting, there's an even simpler way to deter ants from your home.
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Posting on Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips on Facebook, one poster asked for help to stop ants that had begun appearing in her kitchen and was inundated by replies from other Mrs Hinch fans offering the same simple simple solution - a mixture of simple baking ingredients found in most kitchen cupboards.
One poster explained: “ Baking soda and icing sugar scattered where they are coming in, renew often. If you have ants in your cupboards and you’re not sure where they’re coming from, place the mixture into a shallow container (a jar lid will do) and leave one in each cupboard.
“If you know where the nest is, sprinkle the mixture on top of it and around it. Again, if you see any entrances to the nest, put a teaspoon’s worth of mix there too.
“If it has worked and you haven’t seen any ants for a few hours, block the gaps that they have used to get into your home so that they cannot get in again. If it hasn’t worked, just repeat with a more liberal application of the mix."
