Keep ants from crawling into plants by sprinkling common spice along trails

Ants can be a nuisance toward your plants (stock photo)

This is the ultimate hack for keeping ants at bay.

As spring gets into full swing, many of us will be looking to bring life back to our gardens by planting new flowers or watching as last year’s blooms start to grow again. But if you’re looking to make your garden plants look the best they can this year, you’ll want to keep pests away – and this includes ants.

Ants are one of the most annoying pests for gardeners to deal with, as their droppings contribute to the deterioration of foliage, fostering the growth of mould and disease. But there is something you can do to keep them away from your plants – and it doesn’t involve harsh pesticides.

Gardening expert Sam Marlow at Garden Buildings Direct said there’s a simple yet effective kitchen cupboard staple you can use to keep ants at bay – cinnamon.

Sam told The Express: “Sprinkling cinnamon around the base of plants can deter ants, as they dislike the strong scent. This can help protect plants from aphids and other pests that ants often cultivate.”

Ants don’t pose a significant health risk to humans, but their sheer numbers can become a nuisance if they take over your garden or home, Pest UK warns. Spring marks the time of year when these insects are the most noticeable, as this is when the worker ants venture out in search of food.

Using cinnamon around your garden isn’t only great at keeping insects off your plants, either. According to Diamond Pest Control, cinnamon has additional benefits for gardeners, including being able to eradicate fungus patches in the soil around plants, inhibiting the development of harmful pathogens and creating an environment conducive to plant growth.

Meanwhile, we previously reported that cinnamon can be an excellent spider repellant too. You can place cinnamon sticks in your car to stop spiders from crawling in and making your sun visor their home – and the spice has the added benefit of making your vehicle smell amazing.

An expert said: “You can put cinnamon anywhere in your car, but the easiest option would be to put some cinnamon sticks in your car doors. This way your car will smell lovely, and it’s also an ideal option for those who don’t like the smell of essential oils.”

Cinnamon costs £1 at Tesco for both the ground variant and cinnamon sticks.

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