Britons will be familiar with the most common ant in the UK, the black ant, which can be seen in the garden throughout the summer months.
They may enter homes if they can in search of food, but there are scents and products to help keep them away.
1. Fresh lemons or bottled lemon
Mark Smithson, CEO of nationwide electrical appliance experts, Marks Electrical, said: “Lemons are a great option.
“Once the entry point is identified, grab some lemon peel and place it there.
“Ants don’t like the bitter smell and it will therefore act as a natural deterrent for ants. It’ll keep them away.”
Lemons have an acidic oil which is toxic to ants and it disrupts the scent trails they leave for other ants.
Peppermint is also a scent that ants “dislike” and can be purchased from most homeware stores and pharmacies.
Mix around 10 to 15 drops into a mug of water before putting the mixture into a spray bottle and spraying the problem areas.
Other scents to use around the home include tea tree, pepper or eucalyptus which are affordable to pick up and can keep an array of pests away, including spiders.
2. Salt
Mark added: “Salt is also a good option and readily available in most people’s homes.
“Table salt is fine and you can mix in a good amount of hot water and, using a spray bottle, cover any entry points around the kitchen and home.”
Salt can also be used on its own too, creating a barrier to “repel” the ants from the home and garden.
3. Icing sugar
If you have icing sugar and baking soda in your cupboards, mixing equal parts can help to get rid of ants “for good”.
Pour the mixture into a shallow container or bowl and place it near where the ants are invading, near windows and doors.
The sweet smelling icing sugar will attract the pests to the bowl and they will take it back to their nests to eat it, while the baking soda will kill ants.
4. Vinegar
Ants absolutely hate vinegar and the scent of it will cause them to stay away from the home as it disrupts their scent trails.
Britons can use white vinegar or table vinegar as this won’t make a difference, it is purely the strong scent which will throw them off their tracks.