As the weather warms up, Britons may have noticed trails of ants making their way indoors.
Ants are attracted to cool and moist environments that have sources of food and water which is why our homes are prime locations.
Pet food bowls, bins and kitchen counters can be particularly attractive to the pests.
Unfortunately, ants leave behind pheromone trails which means other ants in the colony can easily follow them to the same location.
With this in mind, pest control expert Walter Murphy at PriceYourJob.co.uk has shared his advice for repelling ants from homes.
He said: “It is quite easy to naturally repel ants. Ants hate the scent of peppermint and lavender.
“Mix a solution of either peppermint oil or lavender oil with water and spray the mixture close to the areas where the ants seem most prominent.
“Alternatively, you can use a chemical solution to deter ants, but these can be harmful to plants, children, and pets, so you need to be careful when using these products.
“Make sure you always follow the manufacturer’s instructions whenever using chemical deterrents.”
Peppermint and lavender oils can be bought online for as little as £2.
While it may be tempting to simply sweep ants away, because of their pheromones, this won’t solve the problem.
Instead, homeowners need to destroy the pheromone trail so other ants don’t follow.
