Brilio.net - Ants are often annoying pests in the kitchen and various corners of the house. These insects often come in large numbers, crawling on tables, walls, and even getting into leftover food. The presence of ants is not only annoying, but can also pose a health risk, especially if the ants bring bacteria or dirt from outside.
Despite their small size, ant colonies can be very difficult to expel, as they adapt quickly and return to the same place after being expelled. One common way to repel ants is to use camphor, which is known to be effective in repelling various types of insects, including ants. Camphor works by spreading an odor that ants dislike, so they are reluctant to approach areas that have been sprinkled with camphor.
However, despite its effectiveness, the use of camphor has side effects that need to be watched out for. The chemical content in camphor, such as naphthalene, can be harmful to human health if inhaled or swallowed, especially for children and pets. Given the potential dangers of camphor, many people are now turning to natural ways to repel ants from their homes.
photo: Instagram/@safaralles
Instagram user @safaralles is one of the people who uses natural methods to repel ants. Through one of the videos uploaded, he admitted to only using one kitchen spice. As reported by BrilioFood on Thursday (8/29), the kitchen spice in question is ground pepper.
photo: Instagram/@safaralles
How to use it, you can directly sprinkle this pepper on areas where ants often come. In the video, Instagram user @safaralles sprinkles pepper powder on the floor full of ants. After that, he let it sit for a moment.
Shortly after being sprinkled with pepper, the ants began to leave on their own. Indeed, basically, pepper powder can repel ants because of the active compounds in it, especially piperine, which has a strong and pungent aroma and taste. Ants have a very sensitive sense of smell, and the sharp aroma of pepper powder can interfere with and cover up the pheromone trail they use to communicate and find food.
photo: Instagram/@safaralles
When ants detect the smell of pepper powder, they tend to avoid the area because they feel uncomfortable and cannot follow the path they usually use. In addition, pepper powder can also cause irritation to ants, making them prefer to stay away from areas that have been sprinkled with pepper. By using pepper powder as an ant repellent, you can take advantage of a safe and effective natural method without having to use potentially dangerous chemicals.
Having been viewed more than 4,000 times, many other Instagram users then gave their responses in the comments column. A number of netizens expressed various responses. Among them, some shared other suggestions for repelling ants at home.
"Wow, what a brilliant idea, sis," wrote Instagram user @pipithafizh.
"When there is a group of ants, I usually use the prayer of Prophet Solomon, Surah An Naml verses 30-31, sis.. Alhamdulillah, the group of ants will go away by themselves," commented the Instagram account @meylina.ma.
"Mashaallah, thank God, sis, you're willing to share, I thank you, in fact, I know more, sis, okay sis, I'll try it tomorrow sis," replied Instagram @safaralles.