It’s almost summer!

You know what that means, more picnics, trips to the beaches, and servings of cold soda.

But the drier season comes in with a tiny caveat – they also come in two different colors and can demolish your pantry if you can’t keep them at bay.

The difficult part in addressing this ant-sy invasion is that they can traverse any surface, can fit through the smallest holes, and seem to come out from nowhere.

And while it’s tempting to use harsher chemicals and pesticides, you’ll be glad to know that there are organic options.

Not only are these options safe, but there’s also a high chance that you have them already at home.

Here are 4 simple but organic ways to keep ants at bay.

1.) Ground cinnamon or Cinnamon oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon or 10 to 15 drops of cinnamon oil

1 cup water

Cotton balls

While cinnamon reminds you of sweet desserts with sharp aftertastes, this spice can be a bane to ants. Mix ground cinnamon with water or use cinnamon oil in itself. Soak your cotton balls into the substance. When the cotton has absorbed the cinnamon oil or water, wipe it over the surface where you’re having ant problems. If they are coming from a certain corner, leave to a cotton ball on that spot.

2.) Baking Soda

1 tbs powdered sugar

1 tbs baking soda

Ants love sweet things. If left unchecked, you can find them inside sugar jars. So why are we opting for a repellant that seems counterintuitive? Well, it’s not. It’s not much of a repellant but more of a pesticide. Mix your sugar and baking soda and leave it close to the ant source. Ants can’t tell these substances apart so they’ll also ingest baking soda – which will kill them.

3.) Lemons

1 lemon

¼ cup water

10 drops essential oil

Since it’s the summer season, why not buy a couple of more lemons for that lemonade? Juice one lemon and mix it with water and essential oil. Use a spray bottle to spritz the mixture over surfaces or countertops. While your kitchen is left smelling fresh and citrus-y, ants will steer away from the substance. You will need to reapply this regularly but it’s easy, safe, and organic.

4.) Vinegar

¼ cup water

¼ cup white vinegar

10 drops essential oil

If lemon is unavailable, you can also use organic but acidic alternatives. Mix your ingredients to create a repellant. This mixture doesn’t only repel them, it also kills them. If you’re facing an ant infestation, you can use vinegar to clean hard surfaces, countertops, or floors. The sour smell might be easy to miss once it dries, but ants are sensitive enough to still smell it.

Ants are one of the most successful species on Earth, with over 13,000 species living among us. They also play an important role in our intricate ecosystem. While it’s a bad idea to eradicate all of them, we can at least make our homes and our food off-limits to them.

Lessen the risks of harsh chemicals to your family by opting for these organic choices. Keep an eye out as well, because these are not the only home remedies you can employ to make your summers ant-free.

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Source: DIY Everywhere, Healthline, The Conversation, Stanford, Treehugger