TV cleaning expert says four unusual items will keep ants away from your home this summer

Four unusual items can be used to keep ants away from your home, according to a cleaning expert.

Lynsey Crombie, also known as the Queen of Clean, shared her tips while making an appearance on ITV’s This Morning. She said that simple children’s chalk is one of the easiest and most natural ways to stop ants from entering your home.

She said: "If you get a piece of chalk and use it to draw a line, the ants stop and turn around. They won’t go over it."

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Chalk contains calcium carbonate, which can dry out the exoskeleton of an ant and make it uncomfortable or even deadly for the ant to cross. However, it should be noted that the chalk method may not work if there are lots of ants trying to travel across an area, but it should keep ants away for a little while if you are having a picnic outdoors, reports the Express.

Instead, a “great” and more effective method to stop ants coming into your home is spreading a line of talcum powder near your door which works as a barrier to keep ants out. Lynsey said: "What you do with the talc is you create a mountain, so put it under your skirting boards, squeeze it right in and it stops them from coming in the base as they can’t push the talc out. So places they come in layer your talc in a nice thick line to act as a barrier."

Talcum powder has the same drying powder as chalk but works much better as it will make it difficult for the ants to move and will also clog the ants’ spiracles, which are tiny openings they use to breathe. Talcum powder is one of the best natural and non-toxic ways to keep ants away but you can also help boost it by keeping a pot plant full of mint leaves near the door as ants are highly sensitive to the scents.

While holding up a mint plant, Lysney said: "If you’ve got a massive ant problem, pop this outside your door. It will stop them from coming in as they hate the smell of mint."

Mint contains menthol, a natural insect-repelling compound which will greatly irritate ants but the pungent smell of mint will also disrupt ant pheromone trails and make it more difficult for them to navigate. This will overwhelm ants and make it less likely they will feed or nest near the plant.

If you do not wish to buy a mint plant you can also use peppermint oil infused cotton balls to have the same effect, but be careful not to use this method around pets as essential oils are generally not safe to use around cats or dogs. Lynsey said: "You could also use this cotton ball and then just go over your white PVC around your doors and windows. Again, they hate the smell - but it smells good, so make sure the house smells lovely, fresh and clean."