How can I remove ants from rice without chemicals? That is a common question many people ask when faced with ants challenges in their homes. The fact is, it is only sometimes that chemicals need to be applied. Sometimes, you need to use purely natural methods to solve some of your pest problems.
You will also have to use chemical applications in certain situations. In this case, we prefer to stay away from the chemicals for now so that we can only look at some of the natural ways that can work to get rid of ants from your rice.
Since rice is a food, using different chemicals to deter ants and other pests is not ideal because it can lead to health complications if you do not apply it skillfully. That is why, in this article, I have gathered information about 10 natural ways to remove ants in rice and keep them away.
10 Natural Ways To Remove Ants From Rice
Dry The Rice In The Sun To Kill The Ants In The Rice.
One of the most effortless modes to remove ants from rice is by drying the rice in the sun. The reason is that when you see ants in your rice, that can be because there are traces of moisture in the rice. So, if you have ants in your rice, you need to check to see if there is water to dry it in the sun. Ants do not like places that are too dry. When all the water dries up from the rice, the ants will begin to leave the rice.
So, you can carry the entire rice outside and spread the grains on a mat or a newspaper so that the sun can penetrate every part of the grains. When you do that, the heat from the sun will drive all the ants away from the rice and dry the rice well so that after everything, the ants return to the rice again.
Put Cloves Into Your Rice To Remove The Ants In The Rice.
Cloves have a unique smell that ants do not like at all. Before you put the cloves into the rice, first pour the rice into an enormous container, then add the cloves. You will have to mix the cloves well with the rice. Ensure it’s evenly spread in the rice. Cover the rice for a few minutes and move it to an oven space.
It is essential to cover the rice mixed with the cloves because the smell of the cloves will be intense or concentrated, and the ants in the rice will want to leave inside the rice as soon as possible. When you wait for some time, you can remove the cover to allow the ants in the rice to come out.
Why Bay Leaves Can Remove Ants In Rice
Bay leaves have a strong smell that people like, so because of that, they are often used as spices to cook. But this same smell that people want is what ants hate. Whenever you put some bay leaves in a place with ants, you will see them scattering or moving away from the bay leaves.
So, you can use the bay leaves if you do not have time to spread the rice in the sun or want to avoid using the cloves. You can get a reasonable amount of bay leaves and spread them evenly in the rice.
If you want the bay leaves to work fast and effectively, you must cover the rice after you put your bay leaves inside the rice container. This strategy will make the bay leaves smell strong in the rice, making the ants in the rice want to go out. So, the moment you open the rice container after a few minutes, you will see all the ants moving out of the rice.
How Citrus Fruits Can Get Rid Of Ants In Rice
Citrus fruits have a strong smell, which can deter ants and other pests easily. What you have to do is to squeeze an orange or lemon juice into the affected rice. You can also use the orange or the lemon peel instead. The scent will make the ants leave the rice in no time. You can sometimes use orange or lemon peels instead of the juice. That is also capable of getting rid of the ants in the rice in no time.
Why Cinnamon Can Kill Ants In Rice
Cinnamon is also another good natural insect repellant that can put most away. When you see ants in your rice and have cinnamon at home, drop some cinnamon sticks or powder into the rice. The smell from the cinnamon will make all the ants leave your rice in the shortest possible time.
Another exciting thing about cinnamon is that it can also kill a few of the ants in the rice while some will also manage to escape. After some time, when you do not see ants in the rice again, try to sieve the rice so that you can separate the rice from the dead ants.
Why Heat Can Eliminate Ants From Rice
Applying heat is another way you can kill ants from your rice. You can use any gadgets to generate heat and direct the heat to the rice. One everyday gadget that can generate heat that you can use is the hand dryer. When that happens, you see the ants crawling out of the rice. At times, they can even die in the rice. If they cannot come out and die in the rice, you can use a sieve to separate them from the rice.
How Salt And Peppermint Oil Can Kill Ants From Rice
Salt cannot kill ants but can deter them. So whenever you have ants in a rice bowl, you can use salt if you do not want to kill them or use any chemical spray. Sprinkle some salt into the rice, and you will see the ants rushing out from the rice in a few minutes.
Another thing you can introduce after you apply the salt is the peppermint oil, which has a great scent most pest hates. When you have peppermint oil, all you need to do is get some into a spray bottle so that it will be easier for you to spray some onto the rice.
After you apply the oil, stand by the rice for a few minutes and watch and see how the ants will be rushing out of the rice.
Why Garlic Can Get Rid Of Ants
Another possible and straightforward way to get rid of ants in your rice is by using garlic. What I observed about garlic is that its scent is powerful, just like bay leaves and white vinegar. Whenever ants come close to such a strong smell, they cannot withstand the smell.
It’s effortless to get garlic to buy since we often use it as a spice for cooking, which makes it familiar in many homes.
The best way to apply the garlic is by dividing it into small pieces and putting it into the rice. The moment the garlic lands on the rice, any ants in the rice will start to move out because of the garlic smell.
How Washing Can Eliminate Ants From Rice
Another natural and straightforward way to eliminate the ants in your rice without chemicals is washing the rice. There have been so many occasions that I have used water to separate ants from some of my food. It is so easy to use the washing method to separate ants from your rice.
What I noticed about ants is that they are lightweight, which does not make them sink in water but rather float on water. So, anytime you pour the rice into the water, you will see the ants on the water.
You can then pour the water gently away from the rice, making all the ants go down with the water.
You can repeat the water 2 to 3 times to ensure all the ants are out from the rice before you cook it, but if you are not ready to eat the rice on the spot, you can dry it in the sun for the sun to drain all the moisture out.
Why Freezing Can Kill Ants In Rice
If you want the following quick way to get rid of ants in your rice, try the freezing method. If you use the frozen strategy, you must first put your rice into tight containers or plastic zip-lock bags and put it into your freezer. This strategy takes little time, and it is also not stressful in any way. After a few hours of keeping the rice in the freezer, it is evident that all the ants and other pests in the rice will freeze and die.
When you choose to use this method, you have to wash your rice very well to separate the dead ant’s carcass from the rice before you cook. But if you have enough time, you can get a fine sieve to sieve the ants or separate the dead ants from the rice.
But when that happens, you must get a fine sieve to sieve the ants out or separate the dead ants from the rice.
How To Keep Ants Away From Rice
Store the rice in the refrigerator to keep ants away from the rice
The fridge is one of the safest places to store your food without worrying about any pests. If your refrigerator is big enough or spacious, you can store all your food inside to keep it away from domestic house pests like ants, weevils, and many other problems you can consider.
The only thing you need at this point if you decide to use this method are plastic zip-lock bags. Divide the rice into smaller pieces and put them into the plastic bags before putting them in your refrigerator. The reason for choosing the zip-lock bags is that we do not want water to enter into the rice. The rice can be inside a fridge for months without any insects.
The fridge can also preserve the rice for a long time.
Keep A Few Chalk Near Your Rice To Keep Ants Away.
Put some pieces of chalk near where the rice is to prevent ants from getting closer to the location of the rice. Please do not put the chalk inside the rice because you might end up cooking it even though it is not highly toxic. The reason why you should avoid placing the chalk into the rice is that if you mistakenly add it to the rice and cook to eat it, it can disrupt your digestive system. That is why you have to be more careful whenever you decide to use chalk as an ant repellant.
Just like the way chalk can disturb our digestive system, it is the same way it can disrupt ants, so that is why we will not even get close to the chalk.
Why White Vinegar Can Deter Ants From Rice
Vinegar can help you get rid of ants and, at the same time, repel ants from your items. The smell is so strong that ants dislike getting close to it. You can sprinkle some white vinegar close to where the rice is. Spray in a circle form and ensure the rice is always in the middle. The ants cannot cross the line you have drawn with the vinegar to access your rice. You have to keep repeating the vinegar because after a few days of application, its strong smell will reduce, and it will not be too strong enough to deter ants.
Use Baking Soda To Keep Ants Away From Rice.
Have you tried using baking soda as a pesticide to keep pests away before? If you have not tried that before, you need to because baking soda is very good at keeping ants away, and it is very cheap and easy to use. Another reason why I often use it is because it is edible, too, so using it carefully and moderately on my rice will not cause any harm.
The best way to apply baking soda is to sprinkle it around the rice, or you can even draw a line with it. Any ants that crawl to the line will return because of the baking soda, and that is how you can use this simple cooking material to keep these insects away.
Dry Your Rice To Prevent Ants
The reason I suggested you dry your rice well if you want to keep ants away from it is because of moisture. From my experience with ants, I noticed that the carpenter and some other species of ants like dump areas. That is why it is easy to see these insects in your kitchen sink and around leaky taps or your bathroom walls.
It is easy to do this; all you will have to do is get a few newspapers and spread the rice on a newspaper in the sun to drain the excess water from the out.
What Can Attract Ants To Rice?
When uncooked rice is well-dried, it is difficult to see ants in it. But if you have some moisture in rice, you can find ants in that rice. Ants do not like well-dried rice because they will not gain anything from it. When you see ants in your rice, know that you have some moisture in the rice. It is not anything but the water in the rice that attracts the ants.
Conclusion
Ants are common insects, and it is easy to find them anywhere. Unlike other pests like bed bugs, it is easy to treat ant’s problems.
When you see ants in your rice, know that it has some moisture because it is the moisture in the rice that attracts the ants. Nothing else in the properly dry rice can invite ants.
The best way to get rid of ants from the rice is by using natural DIY methods. Some methods discussed earlier include using bay leaves, white vinegar, salt, heat, cinnamon, and many more.
You can also prevent ants from getting into your rice naturally. Some of the things you can use to repel ants from rice are drying the rice, white vinegar, baking soda, and many others we have discussed here. Check it all out.