Best Essential Oils to Repel Ants Naturally at Home

June 02, 2025

As soon as the summers return, so does my paranoia of keeping the ants out of my house. Ant infestations are more irksome than dangerous. But what really keeps me awake at night, is that these infestations are often an indication that other pests like rodents and cockroaches might be occupying your house too. Therefore, the faster you get rid of the ants in your house, the better.

Now, how do you do that? Because, despite their puny size, the long trail of ants seems never ending, and chemical repellents often miss their mark. The answer is pretty simple- by using essential oils that repel ants.

Why Use Essential Oils to Repel Ants?

Essential oils can be easily incorporated in our daily routines, whether it is for skin care or it is for using essential oil for soap making. But, it is not just that, here’s why you should use essential oils to fend off ants-

Essential oils smell milder and way more pleasant than factory made ant repellents. You can choose from a variety of scents to find the one you like.
Natural repellents made from essential oils may help reduce the risk of accidentally poisoning your pets. If you’re a pet parent, then check out our blog on dog safe essential oils.
You have to be insanely careful while storing traditional repellents, like say, naphthalene balls. Plus, you can’t just put them anywhere in your house due to their inherent toxicity. But, with essential oils, the storage is hassle free and you can use it anywhere and everywhere.

Best Essential Oils for Getting Rid of Ants

If you were wondering what essential oil keeps ants away, here is a list of oils that do the job quite effectively.

Peppermint Oi

Using peppermint essential oil not only adds a burst of freshness to boring cleaning routines, but also keeps ants and other pesky insects at bay.

Tea Tree Oil

Forget ants, you will not even see a housefly in a spa. That’s because spas use tree tea oil for body massages, foot soaks and aromatherapy. The tree tree oil used fills the space with its herbal scent which largely keeps away the ants, flies, mosquitoes and bugs.

Lemon Oil

If you thought your cat disliked the scent of lemon, know that ants are even bigger haters. The potent, zesty scent of lemon essential oil messes with their food locating sense and leaves them scrambling for exits.

Clove Oil

The rich and grounding fragrance of clove is loved by humans. But ants largely abhor the scent of clove and avoid all contact because it is quite toxic for them.

Eucalyptus Oil

The sharp scent of eucalyptus clears our congested airways and helps us breathe more freely. But when you spray it on an ant, it will cause them to suffocate and die.

Cinnamon Oil

Cinnamon is not your ordinary kitchen spice. No, it is one of the most effective solutions for the annoying ant infestation that is ruining your peace during summers.

DIY Essential Oil Ant Repellent Spray Recipe

Ingredients

For this DIY ant repellent spray hack, you will need- a large bowl of water, lemongrass essential oil, patchouli essential oil, and lavender essential oil and a glass spray bottle.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1 - Take a large bowl of clean water.
Step 2 - Make a blend by combining 10 drops each of lemongrass essential oil, patchouli essential oil and lavender essential oil in a glass bottle.
Step 3 - Next, pour in the water and cap the bottle.
Step 4 - Shake and spray away.

How to Use Essential Oils to Keep Ants Away

Here are some of the ways you can easily use essential oils to repel ants-

Add a few drops of citronella essential oil, lime essential oil and cedarwood essential oil in a bucket of clean water. Mix well and mop away every nook and cranny of your house.
Prepare a cleaning spray blend and give your cabinets and pantry a monthly wipe down. Use Aromachology’s list of 10 Best Essential Oils For Cleaning to make your own version of cleaning spray.
Infuse a sachet with any of the above mentioned essential oils and place it in the food cabinet. This will deter the ants from hovering near the food.
Directly spray the witch hazel essential oil blend where you think the ant entry points lie in your house.
If staining is not a problem, you can use diluted turmeric essential oil to drive away the ants.

Extra Tips to Prevent Ants Naturally

Remember all those times when your mum told you to clean your room, fold up your laundry and throw the chocolate wrappers in the dustbin? All this was said not just for personal hygiene, but to keep your room from becoming a hotbed for ant and roach invasions. Before turning to essential oils, try to keep your living space as clean as possible.
Store open food packets in airtight containers or in the refrigerator.
Gently sprinkle neem hydrosol near plant pots or on the bottom side of the leaves to prevent ant nests in the house plants. This is particularly helpful, if your house has a garden or a backyard.
Use labeled dustbins to separate dry and wet waste. The bin with wet waste should be emptied regularly. You can also clean the bin using coffee essential oil soapy water to prevent nasty odors and ants from lurking in the waste.

Conclusion

Essential oils and ants are not a good mix. Where essential oils are nothing less than a treasure trove for humans, for ants they are the complete opposite. Which is why essential oils make the best ant control treatment. They are not only easy to use but real safe too. So, what are you waiting for? Try out essential oil for ants to deal with the pesky ant problem in your homes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What smell do ants hate?

Ants hate the smell of essential oils such as peppermint essential oil, citronella essential oil and eucalyptus essential oil.

What is the best homemade ant killer?

Clove essential oil and orange essential oil are the best essential oils to kill ants. Just make a solution and spray it the next time you see ants lining up in your kitchen.

What do ants hate the most?

Ants cannot tolerate the sharp smell of essential oils at all. Essential oils not only mess with the scent trails of food but also kill ants instantly.

How do I get rid of ants overnight?

Declutter your living space, and use essential oil spray to clean. Then, infuse cotton pads with ant repelling oils and place them near window sills, in cabinets and more.