Which of these NATURAL INGREDIENTS Keeps Ants Out of Your Home? (Experiment)

What natural, eco-friendly ingredient works best at repelling or killing pest ants in your home? Well, today we’re going to test 10 very common, natural, and eco-friendly ingredients, which are said to be "ant-repellents" on actual live ants, including the queen ant in the ultimate anti-ant substance test. The results were surprising. Hope you enjoy this week's #Experiment episode! Ant love forever! This video was shot in 4K Ultra HD resolution.
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[@AntsCanada]

Greetings Ant Lovers/AC Family! I felt it was about time to get to the bottom of this age old question: What is the BEST natural way to get rid of pest ants from the home? Well, now we've finally dispelled the myths and proved what actually works in this experiement! What did you think of the results? Hope you guys remember to LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE (hit the BELL and select ALL) if you enjoyed this video. Thanks so much for the support, AC Family! Means so much to me. Ant love forever!

[@Schelbon-Le-Schrimp]

Antcanada. Plz make a documentary on ants. I would love to hear the classic documentary voice about ants…. Oh and how are the bees

[@osmosisjones4912]

Why are no expirments to talk to ants . Maybe a middle man language like taps that the ants learn to associate with things

[@Schelbon-Le-Schrimp]

Well if you think about it. It would be pretty annoying to hear like 700 voices in your ear saying feed me jelly cups and subscribe to ants Canada

[@noah9459]

Hi, I've been watching for years, and I wanted to ask if you could please make a lasius niger/neo-niger video. At long last I've started my own colony and I'd love to see some of your amazing work with ants that I'm familiar with. Even if it's a no. I love your content and you deserve more. Best wishes ❤

[@osmosisjones4912]

Regular chalk to block the chemical trails regular chalk don't kill them

[@Daemonworks]

Diatomaceous Earth (as it's usually called, around here at least) is sold in various forms. Very widely used and recommend for controlling a wide range of pests. The food grade works fine, and is pet/child/etc safe. There's also variations made specifically for pest control that often have added insecticides, so if you want to avoid toxic stuff, make sure to read the fine print.

[@_Wheels_21]

I know people that eat the stuff as a fingernail and hair growing nutrient suppliment

[@xaratanga5]

just remember DE only works if its dry. Use this in areas that don't get wet.

[@_Wheels_21]

@@xaratanga5 it'll work again after it dries out too

[@patricialynveal4017]

Diatomaceous earth is like a silicate glass like substance (fossilized critters of the sea), kills by tiny nicks and cuts then dehydration, not so much a repellent but by being drug back to the colony drying all the others.. a death by no water not so fun, the chalk does have other binding ingredients and kills faster, the insects might not make it back to their colonies... Works for roaches, bedbug, silverfish, termites, and other annoying home pests.

[@m4mc294]

I ate some once to get rid of helminths in the gut

[@StevenIngram]

I find the diatomaceous chalk fascinating. I'm sure you know that at one time people thought that disease was caused by demons. And I'm sure you've seen enough horror movies to see people drawing chalk circles as a form of protection against demons. Isn't it interesting that if you were to use diatomaceous chalk to draw the circle to "keep the demons out," it would kill insects trying to get in, which could be vectors for diseases and parasites. So... the chalk circle would actually kind of "work" at keeping out some of the "demons" that cause disease. Weird.

[@StevenIngram]

SInce a ring of dead insects would collect inside the chalk ring, you could even point at it and say, "see how it protects against pestilence?" LOL

[@patchys8569]

Interesting 🤔

[@Velcraft]

And chalking the dead, like some cultures do, would also assure corpses from turning into disease-spreading time bombs

[@ThePrufessa]

Dude go to sleep

[@StevenIngram]

@@ThePrufessa lol I write sci fi and horror as a hobby, so I'm always looking for novel ways into a story.

[@nighttalk3531]

It is also said that when you see a single ant in your home, that is a scout. You are to pour salt on the scout which makes it uncomfortable. It then goes back to the nest "telling" the other ants that your home isn't a good place to visit, so they stay away. I don't know if there's anything to it, but never know.

[@Rhetzelle]

nahh you just need to threaten the ant verbally I'm sure the ant will tell them to stay out of your house

[@justinmacdonald3922]

Neem oil can be be used as an insecticide but due to the nature of how it kills insects, is only effective if the insect is covered in it (I.e via spray bottle) similar to black olive soap, it blocks the scriacles causing suffication. Although I'm not 100% sure if it applies to ants too, but it is sometimes used in organic greenhouses across Canada for pest control.

[@darkjesterr]

it kills ants, either covering them or having them ingest it will work

[@xaratanga5]

I live in an area that has been colonized by invasive Argentine ants. They are voracious about getting into houses. I found the best way to deal with this and keep them out of my apartment. I use diatomaceous earth in the entry points. The ants were coming in along the conduit inside the walls and exiting near either the kitchen or bathroom sink, coming out of the wall switch-plate. . So I pumped diatomaceous earth into the wall cavity at each wall plate the ants were coming out of and in a gap between the bathroom cabinet and the wall. Then, I make a mixture of water, liquid soap and cinnamon oil. Cinnamon oil works much much better than the ground stuff. When ants were still getting in, I would use that to kill them. The soapy water suffocates them. I found the cinnamon to be an excellent repellent. Now, I know that any ants that get through my diatomaceous earth barriers will die fairly quickly. I also, for added protection, give a little squirt of the soap and cinnamon mixture into my sink drains. They are coming in for the water, they can smell it, but the cinnamon interferes with their ability to smell and read their chemical trails, which is why its so effective. I do this so they wont look for new entry points. Mint oil is also effective but its corrosive, will take paint off baseboards. The oil would have worked where the leaves failed. This is the biggest secret that exterminators don't want us to know. If you have a problem with invasive ants and you can track them to their colony, get a big bucket of soapy water, and a shovel. Quickly turn over one shovel full of dirt at the top of the colony then pour the soapy water in. That will destroy the colony without poison. Using soapy water spray in the house kills them as effectively as Raid without any toxic residue, and the cinnamon oil in the mix will keep them from coming back. PLEASE DON'T USE POISON!

[@xpotential]

I thought it was for potions...

[@annnoyez]

I dont want to kill them. So I use cinnamon powder. And it works also. Just put it in the entry ways... job done. Way destroying a whole colony. We live happily together. But not in my house...

[@BeyondtheBlade]

I used to be an exterminator, and hilariously enough I used to tell my clients all sorts of tips and tricks to help keep their places insect-free while using a minimum of chemicals, if any at all. That being noted, anti-insect chemicals have made great leaps and bounds over the past couple of decades, but even I agree: Chemicals should be an absolute last resort.

[@kyokono6465]

So Cinnamon and Diatomaceous Earth, a combo my grandmother used to use saying it was a ward against 'evils that raid the pantry', was in fact her repelling ants? (which likely would invade the pantry)

[@Del-Lebo]

cute! XD

[@Like4Hurricane2]

Small note of warning: diatomaceous earth in its powdered form can be an inhalation risk for toddlers/infants and any small pets that do a lot of sniffing around at ground level like cats and dogs; using the chalk form is safer around them for indoor use. Applying the powder around the garden is very effective against a number of pest insects, but if you do that try to keep your dogs out of that area because those fossilised diatoms aren't good for delicate mammalian nasal and lung tissue and can cause some real damage. Also fresh peppermint isn't a good ant deterrent but peppermint oil is, in my experience; however, it needs to be redone way more frequently than diatomaceous chalk. Pennyroyal, another member of the mint family, is also purported to be good against ants. I've also heard that tea made with tobacco leaves can act as an anti-ant barrier given that nicotine is a pesticidal neurotoxin.

[@VannaE]

I’m anaphylactic to shellfish 🦞 🦐 and bought diatomaceous. Thankfully I read what’s in it just before opening the bag. I would’ve died. It’s made up of it.

[@4nn4h]

​​​@@VannaEit's just the silica shells of unicellular microorganisms called diatoms, not shellfish (whose exoskeletons/shells are made of chitin). So unless you're allergic to silica, you should be fine. Just don't breathe it in, because it can irritate your lungs.

[@VannaE]

@@4nn4h about five years ago I brought some home and I was about to use it and I thought I better read the ingredients. Idk why it said crustaceans but now after reading your comment and looking it up, I’m super excited to use it again because it looks fine. Thanks so much for taking the time to share that with me. Heading back to the store. 🫶🏼

[@4nn4h]

@@VannaE happy I could help!!

[@beaconoflight6411]

This experiment was very interesting. The diatomaceous chalk was intriguing as well. It's ironic how something that's been dead for thousands of years can still kill something.

[@TheSucram729]

Like coal killing millions of people

[@Fred-gv3kh]

@@TheSucram729 Or women. LOL!!!

[@alexixeno4223]

my favorite ant "invasion" in my house was I had spilled icecream like weeks before but it somehow landed UNDER my futon(Don't judge). The ants actually showed me the spill and helpfully cleaned it up and then... never game back.

[@near5148]

I think you never came back mabye autocorrcet did this

[@edenpodisingho795]

@@near5148 or he never played game again

[@BloxfightaGamingHD]

I boiled some water and mixed in sugar, then placed that mixture into some cornstarch. This was pretty effective, they were taking the mixture and stopped showing up. What I've read online is that they take it to the queen and the queen cannot digest the cornstarch.

[@testerwulf3357]

Wow that's sound effective!

[@jaanzenelizondo]

I had an active ant hill near the hammock in our backyard. I wanted to do a little experiment to get rid of them naturally, and the solution to that problem is to just disturb the dome part of the ant hill for a few days and they will eventually give up on rebuilding it. I know it doesn't get rid of them entirely, but at least they've moved their opening elsewhere. My husband and I love your channel; keep up the good work! 🐜🐜🐜

[@dahgman3225]

I knew the chalk would work but yes I also suspected the cinnamon, but it would be interesting to find the science behind it. I also heard mint oil works on small crawlers but its more commonly used for spiders, or so I hear.

[@ThePrufessa]

You should've used concentrated peppermint oil instead of fresh mint. That works for rodents but I'm not sure about insects.

[@tabithastrock1914]

I use peppermint oil here in the upper part of the USA to keep ants out of my home. If they do get in an bit of oil to stop them from finding food and they go away on their own

[@trebletortuga8746]

Literally this. The example comments he scrolled past even mentioned peppermint OIL. I'm so perplexed about the choice for the plant instead and not the least bit surprised by the results.

[@gsilverfish]

@@tabithastrock1914 This has worked for me really well too (also in the northwest US). I sprayed it around the edges of the places they were coming in and it had a really dramatic effect. I don't think leaves would be effective, even if the ants hated them, they'd be too easy to accidentally scatter and create an entry path.

[@chelsea5378]

This and lavender works really well for me too. It works so well that I've even planted lavender in my garden beds bc it repells so many unwanted pests in its natural form too.

[@shedinjask]

i once had a mud wasp keep trying to build a nest on my door. each time i would flick it off while it was off getting more mud but it just started again when it got back. finally i filled a spray bottle with water and some spearmint oil and sprayed the area while it was gone, and it stopped trying

[@VocalFox]

Yeah most peppermint suggestions were for OIL, not the fresh leaves.

[@amalilconfused]

Thank you for this experiment Mikey! So helpful. I’ve had some problems with ants on my potted plants and I’ll try the chalk on the pots.

[@TRDPaul]

Good to hear you're still keeping up eliminating the invasive ants Did you use the same 3 workers for each experiment or different ones each time?

[@Stella-John_Learning]

Think same

[@matthewtracy8744]

The diatomaceous chalk is effective, but what about native ants finding the bodies and bringing back the dead for food? That could be bad for the colony in my opinion.

[@Tingy815]

You forget natives are gone most of the native in my area don't like entering my house only passing by

[@PumpkinEater-gh6ok]

I thought ants don't eat their dead

[@notoriousgoblin83]

@@PumpkinEater-gh6ok they might eat other species. Might being operative

[@SlightlyCivil]

The chalk kills them by blocking their respiratory system. It suffocates them. Eating it shouldnt hurt

[@wildlifeisthewealthofnatur5457]

@@PumpkinEater-gh6ok You may not be knowing but ants do eat their own kind if they are different species. Like Army ants regularly carry raids on other ants.

[@DarthNabroc]

After my family tried using bait traps on ants, I talked my mom into letting me get creative with sidewalk chalk, and we haven't had any insects that didn't fly inside since. I learned about that from this channel. Thanks, antscanada!

[@notthehelper6289]

What a great video! Love your stuff keep up the good work!

[@MatanteDodo]

I keep the ants out of my pet's food using that zinc powder you can get at the gym to protect your hands. Seems to work like the baby powder, making the ants slip down rather than hurt them. I saw that egg shells were relatively effective. Ants are alarmed and cautious around chicken egg shells. They can step on it to inspect it but if I place some honey on a piece of shell they can't stay composed long enough to get the honey. My neighbour puts petroleum jelly around her doors to block insects, and I saw it only works for a while, ants freak out when they get petroleum on their antennae but after a while maybe they remember not to put their antennae on it, because they eventually treat it like any other patch of wall.

[@IANF126]

i wonder if they see birds as dangerous predators and that's why they are overly cautious around the eggs

[@MatanteDodo]

@@IANF126 Maybe the birds evolved to have compounds that smell like ant alarm pheromones on their eggs so that ants won't eat their hatchlings.

[@Iheart_me0]

Thank you I never thought of using something eco friendly I might try some of these!

[@alexballinger]

Thanks for this experiment, it is very helpful. Love your channel :) Have a good day!

[@knobjob2839]

Great video. Thanks, AC 👍

[@pxblade]

neem oil is great for protecting your plants from insects that feed on them, for me I had a Thrips infestation and neem oil completely wiped them out, but requires continued use or they can return. It also makes the leaves a healthier shade of green and gives a nice shine to them.

[@darkjesterr]

Neem oil 100% kills ants too, just not by getting their toes wet. the smell is something you need to get used to though

[@TheNoteblockLizard]

Now I'm curious to see how other species interact with cinnamon .... Is it based on the size of the ant? Like would Super Majors be more willing to cross it like the Queen was? Also, I'd watch more such videos experimenting with various other invasive species to see if they too showcase the same results.

[@osmosisjones4912]

Regular chalk absorbs the smells ants us to lay down maps

[@Ki-zy3bb]

Bow

[@deathangel8690]

@@osmosisjones4912show respect , bow

[@deathangel8690]

bow

[@UmbraVir]

Agreed! I'd be interested in another video like this with other invasive species being put through the spice gauntlet. Tapinoma sessile, sugar ants/odorous house ants, are a huge problem where I live and it seems none of these remedies have worked (except diatomaceous earth of course, but I hate using it because it's killing more than the ants). If there's any other way to help stop them that'd be awesome!

[@Redd0w]

It is good that you do lots experiments on this channel to help us learn new things like this that can be very useful yet eco friendly. Also when you make new discoveries and we get to see these things for the first time with you. Keep up the good work!

[@SUSANBAR31]

Thank you for this! Very very well done! Best we saw!

[@erinfreeman4367]

I was surprised the diatomaceous earth killed them so fast. We used to use it on out carpets if we got a flea infestation in our house.

[@derricka.mccormick6548]

Love diatomaceous earth. good for live stock and pets. Deadly to insects.

[@JamesOpr]

@@derricka.mccormick6548 I heard it can act as a dewormer too.

[@derricka.mccormick6548]

@@JamesOpr it's one of the best at deworming. As long as it's food grade

[@TheKatarinaGiselle]

Love D.E.! Keeps the pests away and kills them fast, and it’s also a great supplement to take annually to kill parasites! You only need a little bit each day!

[@fineline2212]

@@TheKatarinaGiselle As a supplement huh? How exactly do you get around it being nearly worthless once wet, or the fact that your stomach acid will easily react with it?

[@PeterG6408]

I find using talcum powder an effective enough way of keeping ants away from where they are not wanted. But as with diatomous earth it needs regular replacement.

[@LeslieArnelleTV]

this was very good . thanks for sharing!

[@Texan_christian1132]

I was completely surprised! I thought the ants would want to eat cinnamon!

[@SweetSunsetBaby]

I honestly guessed cinnamon but only because I was cleaning an aquarium that I just bought and had this playing the background, cinnamon was the only one I could remember you said. And yes, I am very surprised of the results, I totally thought nothing would happen.

[@melissanichols784]

Another alternative to diatomaceous chalk/earth is Borax. It's less expensive, but works in much the same way. It also lasts longer in more humid environments. As for some other alternative repellents, maybe try eucalyptus oil. I've used that as a general bug repellent before and it works really well.

[@kme]

A friend showed me a mix of borax and sugar that she would sprinkle outside her house to keep them out, but she said it has to be redone every week or so. But in a lot of places in Europe, you can't get borax... (so I couldn't use that when we got ants in our house. But they went away on their own so idk?) I haven't actually seen it here in Canada either, but I haven't exactly been looking for it. I'm not bothered by ants. It's the flying critters that 'bug' me the most bc those suckers are IMPOSSIBLE to get rid of, no matter how much you try or how clean your house is. I still won't use toxic means bc I don't want it affecting bees too.

[@melissanichols784]

@@kme I don't know about in Canada, but in the US, you can usually find it with the laundry detergent and other household soaps. I know that you used to also be able to get it at hardware stores, because it was good for washing off grease and motor oil.

[@crazitaco]

The queen not being repelled by cinnamon kinda makes sense. The workers are much lower to the ground, so walking through the cinnamon will put it right in their face. But the queen has longer legs and more height over it.

[@doghouse2880]

Thank you for this !!

[@andrewbelades]

Sad that I missed the poll. In my experience, black pepper doesn't work, but cayenne pepper does. I think the two peppers have different mechanisms of delivering heat. Strong enough hot sauce (As in, almost pure capsaicin) does too in my experience, I stopped a REALLY nasty ant infestation dead in its tracks with it back in college. I would have loved to see those two done in an actual experiment like this, especially with the queens.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Mikey: Neem oil- USA: Did somebody say *O I L* UN: But you already colonized the Philippines! USA: *TIME FOR ROUND TWO!* I don't blame ants for not wanting to touch the cinnamon, I mean look at what happened to humans during the cinnamon challenge...ants played it smart. And I'm not surprised chalk worked, chalk is a powerful weapon used by teachers for a reason!

[@bitemacauk]

I love your colorful little sample dishes

[@FioreCiliegia]

Cinnamon is hydrophilic so it might operate similar to the chalk just without the cuts

[@SourBogBubble]

Diatomaceous earth to be exact.

[@Mohz6820]

yup

[@gamerzez5488]

Mhm

[@LitoMike]

yea but its called chalk in certain places

[@thecassandraeffectvsperilo6754]

Dawn liquid dish soap is what I use..make a solid line across your doorways AND *THEY WON'T* cross it..it's NEVER failed me *=)* *EDIT:* plus you can easily see when the soap has completely faded and you need to reapply another line of soap

[@rebelchick4724]

That’s awesome I was very surprised at all of these was not expecting those this was a awesome video

[@martinoamello3017]

When I lived in Texas it was coffee, but in south Carolina not so much. Good to know DE is the best for this particular issue. One thing that will repel roaches is cedar. I have a woodshop in my garage (I'm a cabinet maker).. Cut up small pieces of aromatic cedar and put them in your cabinets, etc. The bugs won't want anything to do with it. Here in S Carolina roaches are king (or queen) and are just about everywhere. I never ever see them in the woodshop..

[@Werd2jaH]

So no one else heard of feeding ants uncooked grits to get rid of them? When the red ant super colony started to take over here in the south US (Georgia) we were told to feed them uncooked grits, the ants supposedly eat the uncooked grits and take it back to the colony, they eat the dehydrated grit and it swells in them and they pop like popcorn. Was that just an old wives tale?

[@elgigante2001]

No, I've heard of that too as well as just grinding up popping corn for the same effect.

[@Werd2jaH]

@@elgigante2001 I wonder why he didn’t try it? Surely an instantaneous pop is more humane than diatomaceous earth 🤔

[@SupahTrunks7]

The pop would be from a build up of pressure in the ants digestive system so they would likely be in pain long before they popped which i can't imagine is more humane than the diatomaceous chalk especially since we don't know how long it takes for them to die that way. If they're expected to take it back to their colony to share then it could be a pretty slow death

[@Stranger66666]

as much as i love the pro life focus of this channel i can't deny that these are valuable videos and would like to see more alternative ant videos. thank you

[@codycoolen421]

I really liked this style of video, is more brighter than your other videos

[@Erekai]

I have heard of that chalk before, but (thankfully) never had to use it. Those results were very interesting though! I want to know more about it now haha.

[@TeoIsAPerson]

Ants Canada never fails to surprise us with content every saturday

[@osmosisjones4912]

Try chalk. It absorbs the chemicals ants use to lay down maps . And I mean regular chalk not kill them

[@zaneflores3963]

he did

[@osmosisjones4912]

@@zaneflores3963 I meant regular chalk to block the smells to leave for maps not kill them

[@wiplein982]

Cinnamon, certainly, did it myself a few times because even though I don't mind ants in my yard - we do get an issue when they start digging into my winter garden

[@Hadmin]

I had an infestation of ants at my apartment complex outside "common area" They were everywhere crawling on the coffee tables and everywhere else they had crap to find. I did find their nest entrance. One at least, they could have had more. Went inside, grabbed a salt shaker (iodized salt) and gave a light sprinkle around the most frequented tables and around the nest. The next day, every ant was gone. the only trace left was their nest opening, but not a single ant in the area.

[@leopardbunny]

Someone mentioned cinnamon can turn fire ants against each other due to messing with their sense of smell. It may be worth a try. Diatoms have a risk of damaging local species as well.

[@tabithastrock1914]

I was gearing up to tell you off a bit.... but you didn't do peppermint OIL and you did say maybe it will work on other types of ants. I put peppermint oil around my house once a month and we do not have any ants in our home. It is oil not leaves.

[@nicolasbouchard2715]

How much oil do you put and how much does it costs? Also do you get a lot of rain in your area?

[@tabithastrock1914]

@@nicolasbouchard2715 I just use an all natural peppermint rodent spray. That goes around the outside of my house. For the inside (I double treat) I buy those little bottles of pure peppermint oil and use a damp cloth and a few drops of oil and run it anywhere I think they will come in from. If it rains then yes I need to reapply it outside.. a little does go a long way with it. If I see them in my house I do an inside treatment and another outside treatment. I hardly get them inside but sometimes you miss a little tiny area that they can get in.

[@tabithastrock1914]

@@nicolasbouchard2715 oh and make sure it isn't the "food grade" peppermint oil from the baking section. Go to the medicine area. There should be high quality oils for this or that there. The one in the baking aisle isn't as strong

[@Paradys8]

Great video! Wondering if noise effects the ants, like the noise sound of a loud bathroom fan or a repellent white noise?🤔

[@ruthcantoni7403]

I used to adopt nettle but not fresh leaves, I used nettle leaves macerated in rainy water; or, my favorite method was to offer ants a huge amount of food at some distance in the opposite direction to divert them from entering my house

[@Philps-]

I found out that clove is a good repellent for small ants. It's simple, i use 20 to 30 clove for a liter and boil them like a tea, them you take the clove and mix the tea with alcohol, a portion of 1 to 1. Just spray where the ants are and they will vanish for some time. Idk if clove is correct, but I use cravo-da-india. Great video AC o/

[@KitsunenoHibi]

Yup. Clove powder and clove oils, when aerated, both eliminate pheromone trails and repel ants. It has the same chemicals that repel ants that's in cinnamon, but in higher concentration, so it really drives them off. Very helpful.

[@bobshikalob4990]

Mikey, the best substance that's still eco-friendly is really just boiling water. You've seen the results yourself.

[@jonjohnson1978.]

Boiling water doesnt last very long though..... Edit...my comment refers to repellant not killing ofcourse 🤣

[@ousamadearu5960]

repellant, not killer

[@electronicfreak1111]

@@jonjohnson1978. you can bring natives to the spot once it cools down

[@msthieumarin1791]

How bout making a bonfire one topof the nest

[@seanisasbacani6789]

@@msthieumarin1791 you still have to remember that they are underground and heat from a bonfire doesn't go that deep

[@JamesOpr]

I been diatomaceous earth for years. Aquarium grade placed in a canaster filter will polish water to be crystal clear. Great for clearing the water after you stur up the gravel base doing water changes. Food grade is good against insects and small pests. We have loads of fireants in Texas.

[@justflex6745]

so your telling that you have been diatomaceous earth for years. WTF

[@Jaedub86]

If you are using baby powder to keep them in the container, could you do the same to keep them out?

[@Ellerion2]

Well, a cinnamon - chalk mixture might be the answer to prevent worker ants from crossing and kill any who would actually pass that barrier... While i didn't expect any of the substances (that i knew of) to actually kill the ants, it was a surprise that cinnamon actually prevented ants from crossing ; that chalk i was unfamiliar with, so i didn't know anything about its properties but ants - at first - didn't mind crossing that barrier but it was their demise doing so...

[@ThePrufessa]

Once you find a good repellant you should try it on different species to see if works the same on all ants.

[@bullymaguire632]

In that case it's probably only needed to retest the cinnamon, because the other one is likely to work against all ants because of it's mechanism

[@ThePrufessa]

12:54 I was in the middle of replying to you telling you that I agree with you and that I spoke too soon. Until I heard what he said here...

[@ThePrufessa]

@@bullymaguire632 I almost spoke too soon twice in one post

[@early_morning_sd_team]

If you are looking for a yard spray, I recommend cedarcide and wondercide, it’s also great for fleas ticks and mosquitoes.

[@azbl0911]

Absolutely need this! In a span of 2 weeks, 2 black crazy ant colonies tried to move into my house. Saw their brood and everything 😭 I love watching them and observing them but I'm just not ready for them to move in with me just yet lol

[@thekingofforevermore9218]

When are you gonna open your ant park

[@Down.D.Stairs.]

I had no idea that chalk exists I wonder if it works on roaches I used to live in a apartment complex that had a roach problem

[@quentinapplefish]

I should work, this diatomae chalk is also used against bedbugs

[@AntsCanada]

This chalk has indeed helped me eliminate a roach problem after bringing in furniture from another home that happened to have roaches. The roaches were everywhere but were gone in a week after using the chalk!

[@CL-im9lk]

Where do you get diatomaceous chalk? Amazon doesn’t have it. Are all chalks made of DE? Thanks!

[@M.G.R...]

Thank you bro very much, you are life saver

[@testerwulf3357]

I'm sure many of these likely work to keep them in their nests away from you, however if an ant HAS to cross it they will..such as being taken away from their colony and trapped in a circle haha; and probably in specific situations but don't work in others. Now I know I need to get that chalk if we ever have an ant infestation again (Edit: along with other helpful tips in the comments, thanks everyone)! The peppermint LEAVES caught me off guard though..I read that peppermint OILS (or just concentrated liquid versions in general) keep away insects so I thought it'd work on ants; leaves aren't as potent as the oil forms.

[@Fred-gv3kh]

That's a great point about "having" to cross it, and a flaw in this experiment. That combined with the order the tests were done,, if it was the same three ants used, they might be reluctant to cross in an early test, but after an hour of tests (or however long it took) their frustration/anxiety level would be higher, and realizing they had no choice (if they wanted to get back to their colony), they would cross. In short there are too many variables in these experiments for the results to be anything but "indications" as to what keeps fire ants away and what doesn't.

[@darthstar7293]

My family actually has a farm with a ton of mango trees, which have lots of weavers, and my mom asked me(since I know a lot about ants, not as much as you tho lol) how to repel them temporarily to harvest the mangoes. I was thinking, and this is perfect!

[@kuitaranheatmorus9932]

Well this video was just another amaizng selection of millions of ideas from this amaizng channel

[@bgilbertson79]

Love your vidios they always make my day been waching for 1 year and i try not to miss any

[@TH_5094]

I think cinnamon, turmeric, pepper & vinegar will be the most effective. Edit: I guessed the cinnamon correctly but couldn't get the chalk. oh well, close enough I guess :)

[@InvasionAnimation]

I know it wouldn't be effective, but I think some kind of Plant fly traps would be cool.

[@marthandemmasclub1595]

like the venus fly trap

[@InvasionAnimation]

@@marthandemmasclub1595 Yup!

[@_miyu]

@@InvasionAnimation He used them on the channel before to control population. But the ants are smarter than that. They started dropping their garbage in the plants instead.

[@InvasionAnimation]

@@_miyu I remember that. It was funny!

[@meowthekitty321]

@@InvasionAnimation Which video?

[@sandyeubanks4972]

Great thanks

[@kesomon]

This is super helpful info now that its getting warmer out and the ants are emerging from their winter slumbers. They seem to think the kitchen is their turf, not mine, and nothing I've tried seems to keep them out.

[@kesomon]

I'm gonna try mixing Diatom chalk with cinnamon and see if it works better than just one or the other. my workers seem to cross the diatom stuff more readily, and I have to sweep up tiny ant corpses every day. So if the cinnamon prevents most of them from crossing in the first place, that'll solve a headache.

[@LitoMike]

@@kesomon u also should add cornstarch cuz when ants eat it they die

[@jonathanhord8067]

Good experiment but one question, did you use the same three ants throughout the experiment? if so they may have got desperate as time went on and cross things they wouldn't have if it had been the first substance.

[@zachary_smith84]

Mythbusters Jr did this a few years back so kinda already knew about several of these. Cinnamon worked best in their tests because the natural oils hindered the ants and messed with their senses. In their tests the ants kept stopping to clean their antennae every time they approached the line. Chalk didn't do squat, so was a little surprised to find out they may have left out the death aspect of it from the show.

[@pedroff_1]

Maybe the chalk they used wasn't from diatomite? IDK about chalk enough to know its common sources

[@jorikehoe2855]

I live in Florida with a pond in the rear of my house. I planted a combination of citronella, lemon balm, and catnip on my porch to help with the mosquitos and crazy ants that decided to invade. Been working for 2 years now.

[@sarviji]

I love your vids and your stuff you put in it

[@kingLorshi]

I had a strong hunch cinnamon would work, as well as vinegar, and has no confidence cucumber would work. Spoiler: I was surprised vinegar didn't seem effective, and not all surprised cucumber wasn't. What surprised me more was that pretty much everything but Cinnamon and the chalk did not work. I'm wondering if the species could be affected differently or ifs consistent across the board for these to work it fail.

[@jessicadias5014]

Ok so I've been a subscriber for a long time and I am also a technician in a pest company and I think your conclusions on pest companies are slightly misguided. In many areas, pest control technicians have to be licensed in their region on not only what to do but what not to do. How to apply a chemical safely and to pull the brakes if conditions are present and an application cannot be made at all. A much bigger problem is when people who aren't licensed with the local laws and have no knowledge of applying and mixing pesticides, buys a bucket of whatever chemical they think will kill whatever it is they want gone quickly. And sprays it everywhere at a much higher concentration where it should never be sprayed. There is also the fact that the newer and more eco friendly products doesn't necessarily mean safer. For example, one of the non eco friendly pesticides I use has a commonly known antidote. But the eco friendly version has no known antidote. These are all things that your local pest control takes into consideration that the average person might not. Now how would I deal with ants? I would use a gel bait which is a slow acting pesticide that uses the ants own behavior against them. They feed on the gel, fill their social stomachs and then feed it to the rest of their colony including their queen. So in essence you can eliminate an invasive colonies with just a blob smaller than your pinky knuckle. This is also one of the few substances that is able to be used in schools and in food prep areas in my region. So in essence Mr AC, I believe if you just changed your perspective on pest control and focused more on the misuse of pesticides and chemicals, I think you would be targeting a much bigger problem.

[@person2045]

Knew the diatomaceous chalk would work exactly like that. Vet recommended spreading diatomaceous earth in my house and vacuuming it up when I had a flea problem. It worked but definitely wear a mask and cover electronics because it is super dusty and will get everywhere

[@IMChrysalis]

About the diatomaceous chalk... I've never seen that anywhere, but you can get the Diatomaceous earth at feed stores or race tracks, in large quantities. It'susually food grade but try to get it without added minerals. They use it to deworm horses! The large quantities can be used to clear yards outside of insect pests... and where I live it rains 165 days a year, so frequent foundation applications are a necessity!

[@ThePrufessa]

12:55 is there anything that diatomaceous chalk is known not to be effective on? Because after this experiment I would like to see if there is a species that's immune to this stuff!

[@osmosisjones4912]

If you have a problem with ants try chalk it absorbs the chemicals ants leave to lay down maps

[@osmosisjones4912]

Regular chalk not to kill them

[@pixsistixs]

OMG Thank you so much for the information. We don't have too big of an ant problem but the area I live in does have a roach issue and I've had problems with them living inside my computer and was not sure how to keep them out. I'm about to chalk my whole computer case to keep them out.

[@Rey-BrawlStars]

Ah yes, let me spread some paprika around my house to ensure that no pesky ants steal my HamBurgirs

[@MrJohn0fficial]

Can we all agree that these videos never fail to disappoint us 🙏

[@SomeStupidToast]

Indeed.

[@kuriboh635]

So these videos are disappointing all the time?

[@danielkarsten2816]

Yea

[@kidsplayingyt1318]

finally...you came back, creepy like begging bot

[@Maddie_pop-real]

Facts

[@Paradys8]

What about Borax? Or Borax mix with sugar?

[@turquoiseninja4534]

where did you buy the diatomaceous chalk from?

[@tamara.mw.]

My dad got rid of some ant infestations by putting rice on the workers' path. I'm not sure if it's because they eat it and then expands inside of them (?) or because they take the grains back to their colony and it expands there with the humidity of the soil, blocking the exit. Not really sure but it's worked a couple of times

[@gameisfun9391]

Yes. I used diatom for my garden. I don't like to use pesticide...

[@dragon6irl]

I know it's a little random, but do you remember by chance where you got all those little decorative bowls? They're super cute

[@sylphsylph2118]

as a tip the cinamon makes a good job if you use it around windows since it sticks well usually and don't have as much issue with wetness

[@prestonlucas3732]

Never thought i would feel bad for ants.

[@GhilliedWDB]

11:22 I can hear the worker ants now, "MY QUEEN!!"

[@susanfiser9497]

I've had really good results with Nutmeg!

[@Dignity534]

My mom was doing spring cleaning, and we have these little lanterns in our front yard and then my mom cleans them out. So, this is really cool for me, because in my tiny life (so far) I never got to see a whole entire and colony! So, meanwhile when I was playing with my sister my mom calls me over because I’m going crazy about you ant videos, and then she toke if off the ground and then all of the ants just splattered everywhere. It was so cool. I got to see all the eggs. Another time I came home from school and while me and my sister were going toward the door, we saw a very neat line of ants! They were just one ant by one, I really want to see a queen Andy.

[@cookiesforgiggles]

1:41 Its so weird to hear him talk about killing ants so enthusiastically