A CLEANING whizz has revealed how an inexpensive kitchen staple helped her banish annoying ants from her garden.
As much as we love the warmer weather, the arrival of spring also comes with another, less welcome guest - ant infestations.
This is a problem one TikTok user, Anna Lanier (@annalanier2), used to struggle with - until she came across an easy hack that changed her life.
Pleased with how effective the trick was, Anna took to TikTok to share it with her almost 500k followers.
''If you have an ant problem, watch this,'' the cleaning fan said in her video, before revealing the answer is a popular spice.
''Ants can't stand the smell of cloves.''
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To prove this, Anna chucked a couple of cloves on her patio and observed the tiny insects, particularly the head ant.
According to the savvy TikTok user, it's the main ant that will go around the cloves and ''check the situation out''.
''And then she's going to tell them to get away - she will Nos them.''
Since being uploaded on the popular platform, the clip has taken the internet by storm, racking up a whopping 4.4million views.
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Close to 2k followers flocked to comments to thank Anna for sharing the inexpensive trick, as well as offer their top remedies.
Someone suggested an alternative: ''Great information. A cheaper option is a sprinkle of cinnamon, the ants won’t cross cinnamon.''
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''Wow didn’t know that. Thanks for sharing!'' a fan exclaimed.
''Use nail polish remover pour all around trust me ants hate the smell too,'' read another suggestion.
''Salt works just as well if not better,'' a fourth insisted.
Have these insects found way into your home? Check out our favourite hacks for tackling this issue.
How to get rid of ants?
As always, prevention is the best cure but there are plenty of tips and tricks to remove them once they've made their way in.
The best solution to ant infestations is simply removing whatever is attracting them to your home.
Ants could be attracted by anything from a drop of honey on the kitchen counter, to a jar of jam, or even a dirty spoon left in the kitchen sink.
By removing the attraction the ants might just pack up and leave you alone.
But if you are worried about ants descending onto your home, here's what you should do:
- Store all food away, ideally in airtight containers, in cupboards or in the fridge.
- Don't leave food out in the open air, always cover and store away if possible.
- Clean up any food and drink spills as soon as they occur.
- Keep the house clean, remember to keep cupboards clean too.
- Wash pet bowls regularly, remember ants are partial to cat and dog food too!
- Take out your rubbish regularly.
- Clean your entire kitchen with a natural, homemade anti-ant spray, made with one part water and one part vinegar to destroy their pheromones and present infestations.
The experts at Smiths Pest Management suggested using pepper to throw the insects off the scent.
They said: 'Ants rely on their sense of smell to navigate the world, and they find the scent of pepper irritating.
To deter them from entering your home, sprinkle ground black or red pepper around your baseboards and behind appliances.
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