Brilio.net - Ants are often uninvited guests in the kitchen. Their presence can be very disturbing, especially when their numbers start to grow and they are seen crawling around food and kitchen surfaces. This problem often starts with a few foraging ants finding a food source and then calling the entire colony to join. In addition to being disgusting, the presence of ants in the kitchen can also pose a risk of contamination to food and cooking utensils.
One of the main reasons ants are a kitchen pest is because they are attracted to leftover food , sugar, and other food items. Ants have a very keen sense of smell, so they can find even the smallest crumbs. Once they find a food source, the ants leave a pheromone trail that other ants follow, so in no time the kitchen can be filled with rows of foraging ants.
Dealing with an ant problem in the kitchen requires the right approach. Keeping the kitchen clean is a crucial first step, including cleaning up food spills immediately and storing food in tightly sealed containers. Additionally, finding and sealing any gaps or cracks around windows and doors can help prevent ants from entering.
If the problem persists, some people usually use natural ingredients, such as pepper. Sprinkling pepper in areas where ants often come is considered to be able to repel this insect. The reason is, the strong aroma of pepper tends to be disliked by ants.
Unfortunately, sprinkling pepper can actually make the kitchen dirty and dusty. Instead, you can make an ant-killing liquid like Instagram user @nurulkomariah3112 did. Through one of the videos she uploaded, she admitted to only using three kitchen ingredients to eradicate the horde of ants.
As reported by BrilioFood from Instagram @nurulkomariah3112 on Thursday (5/12), the kitchen ingredients in question are dishwashing soap, baking soda, and vinegar. These three ingredients will later be mixed and then used as an ant-killing liquid. Even a swarm of ants can die immediately when sprayed with this liquid.
photo: Instagram/@nurulkomariah3112
Well, how to mix this ant killer liquid is quite easy. In a container, put water, dish soap, baking soda, and vinegar. After that, stir all the ingredients until evenly mixed. Then transfer this liquid into a spray bottle.
photo: Instagram/@nurulkomariah3112
For application, you can directly spray the liquid into the kitchen area that is full of ants. In the video, Instagram user @nurulkomariah3112 directly sprays it around the sink that is full of ants. Who would have thought, this liquid can immediately kill ants in an instant.
"No need to wait a few minutes, the ants will all die immediately," said Instagram @nurulkomariah3112.
photo: Instagram/@nurulkomariah3112
A mixture of water, baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap is very effective in killing ants because the combination of these ingredients works synergistically to disturb and kill ants. Dish soap contains surfactants that damage the outer layer of the ant's body, causing dehydration and death.
Vinegar, being acidic, disrupts the ants sense of smell and breaks down the pheromone trails they use to navigate. Baking soda, when reacted with vinegar, produces carbon dioxide gas which can interfere with the ants respiration. When these ingredients are mixed with water, they create a solution that can easily spread and effectively kill ants.