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Do Mint Leaves Attract or Repel Ants?

Do Mint Leaves Attract or Repel Ants? thumbnail
Mint grown around the foundation of a home also deters ants from foraging inside.

Ants forage into homes, contaminate food and leave humans and pets with painful and itchy bites. Hundreds of chemical ant killers line store shelves but can cause household fires, respiratory problems or danger to the environment. Safer at-home remedies for repelling ants from the home include such pantry and household items as mint leaves. Does this Spark an idea?

  1. Use

    • Mint leaves produce a scent that most ant species dislike and avoid. Place mint in areas frequented by the ants and in places ants use as entrances to deter them from entering your home or returning to their nests.

    Applications

    • Administer mint in various ways to repel ants. Place mint tea bags over openings in a wall that ants use as entrances, dry and sprinkle mint leaves in door thresholds or rub mint oil into countertops to produce pleasant scents that repel ants. Sticks of mint gum or candy with strong odors also may help to repel many ant species.

    Misconceptions

    • Mint repels some ant species, while other species do not notice the scent of the leaves, says Jack Paxton of the University of Illinois. As of 2010, no evidence suggests that mint leaves attract ants.

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