Seal the cracks first. Then use diatomaceous earth.

Yes, but the order matters. Vinegar sprays and peppermint oil smell nice to you and annoy ants for about ten minutes—then they just walk around the smell. They don’t actually kill or deter long-term.

What works: find where they’re coming in (baseboards, window gaps, pipe entries) and seal with caulk or weatherstripping. Then dust a thin layer of food-grade diatomaceous earth along those paths. It’s not a poison—it’s microscopic sharp edges that dehydrate insects. Works on ants, silverfish, roaches, even earwigs.

Keep it dry. Once wet, it’s useless. So apply in crawlspaces, behind appliances, along baseboards you don’t mop.

Skip the essential oil Pinterest projects.