Cinnamon For Ants – Does It Kill & Repel Common Species?

This guide is focused on cinnamon ant control. We hope to find out if this natural product repels and kills common ant species.

Using Cinnamon For Ant Prevention And Control

If you find natural remedies to pest problems interesting, you might have heard about cinnamon being a handy product with lots of possible pest applications.

However, there have been conflicting claims about this product. While some attest to its repellent effect, others believe ants are attracted to it.

So, which of these claims are true? Here, our goal is to find out if ants indeed like cinnamon.

In other words, do ants find cinnamon attractive? If you also want to get to the root of this debate, you’ll definitely find the answers you seek.

All you have to do is read along.

The Preference for Natural Remedies To Ant Infestation

There has been an increasing preference for natural remedies when dealing with pest issues.

Whether it be the use of cinnamon, cayenne or black pepper, lemon juice, food-grade diatomaceous earth, mint, vinegar, or essential oils, the attraction to these natural items has grown over the years.

So, why is there a gradual shift towards natural pest remedies?

Are they more effective than those offered by chemical pesticides? Not really. The main attraction to natural remedies is their non-toxic nature.

They’re environmentally friendly while helping you get rid of pests.

Do Ants Like Cinnamon?

The stories you’ve heard or read about ants being attracted to cinnamon are simply myths. As a matter of fact, cinnamon has the opposite effect on ants.

In other words, ants are repelled by this product and will keep their distance as much as possible.

So, what is it about cinnamon that repels ants?

• Possible Reasons Why People think Cinnamon Attracts Ants

It’s not enough to debunk claims about ant’s attraction to cinnamon. We also need to attempt to provide answers as to why some people think it does attract ants.

Cinnamon has a lot of uses including being used as a food ingredient.

Now, ants will normally be found flocking around food crumbs. As a food ingredient, it’s easy to think that ants will find cinnamon attractive. Such belief could also be fueled by the scent given off by cinnamon.

However, certain scents may be attractive to humans but totally disliked by ants.

How Cinnamon Works to Repel Ants

Whether you’re using ground cinnamon (powder) or its essential oil, it achieves a similar effect on ants. The only difference here is in the method of application.

While the cinnamon powder is sprinkled along ant pathways, its oil (cinnamon essential oil) is diluted with water or carrier oil and sprayed on targeted areas.

• What does cinnamon do to ants?

To understand how it works, you’ll need to know the contents of this product. Basically, the oil contained in cinnamon is its main active repellent ingredient.

This oil is known for its strong scent which disrupts ant communication.

How so? Let’s explain.

Whenever you find ants trooping into your home, they’re simply following a scent trail left behind by an explorer and. Such scent trails lead to food sources.

The explorer ant marks out such food sources by releasing pheromone which leaves behind the scent trail followed by other ants.

A strong-smelling substance like cinnamon oil disrupts the scent trail being used by ants to locate food. With such mixed-signal, ants are unable to find food sources and consider your home unfavorable territory.

• Other Ways Cinnamon Works to Repel Ants

You may have wondered whether the repellent effect of cinnamon is solely derived from its strong scent. Such critical thinking actually helps in getting more answers. The contents of cinnamon oil also work to repel ants.

So, what are these contents? There are several.

Cinnamon oil contains certain compounds such as natural alcohols. The volatile nature of these alcohols is deadly to ants when ingested.

Such alcohols include ether, carboxylic acids, ester, aldehydes, ketone, and alkenes.

Using Cinnamon To Get Rid Of Ants At Home

Will cinnamon kill ants? No. There is no strong evidence to back this claim.

Although cinnamon will repel ants when applied correctly, there’s no assurance that it will solve all your ant problems.

This is especially true when the underlying causes of ant problems are left unattended. So what are these underlying causes?

These are simply ant attractions around your home which will be discussed shortly.

Before we identify common ant attractions, let’s first consider why cinnamon alone might not be enough to solve your ant problems.

First off, cinnamon in its ground form (powder) may not contain a high concentration of oils. Nevertheless, it still gives results as ants typically avoid treated areas.

While avoiding areas sprinkled with cinnamon, they simply shift their focus to other areas within your home which aren’t treated.

However, when you use cinnamon essential oil, there’s a possibility of getting better repellent results. In its concentrated form, this oil is more potent.

Adopt a two-Pronged Ant Treatment Approach

When using cinnamon for ant treatment, it’s important to adopt a two-pronged treatment approach. This simply means treating the effects using cinnamon while also focusing on the causes.

Here, you’re looking at the reasons or attractions for ant presence in your home.

• What Attracts Ants into your Home?

When it comes to ant presence in your home, several factors can be attributed to such.

Mostly, ants are attracted to food and moisture. An ample supply of food is usually found in homes. Such include sugar, crumbs, pet food, grease, rubbish beans, and other ants.

Ants will exploit all gaps and openings around your home to gain entry. Moisture comes from leaky pipes, standing water in bathrooms, and decorative water fixtures among others.

You’ll need to take urgent preventive steps to contain the problem as much as you can.

• Keeping Ants Out of Your Home

Ants gain entry into your home through gaps and openings. No matter how tiny these openings are, they could be used by ants. You’ll need to start by finding and sealing all such spaces.

Next, your focus should be to clear up and clean up all food as well as liquid spills.

Ensure you regularly sweep floors especially after every meal and before going to bed. This helps get rid of food crumbs on the kitchen floor and dining areas. Also, consider storing food in tight containers.

It’s now clear that ants dislike cinnamon.

As a matter of fact, cinnamon will repel ants, keeping them at bay.

You might want to exploit this repellent effect by applying cinnamon essential oil or its ground powder around ant-infested areas.