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You could eliminate your ant problem in seconds with just two everyday items found in your kitchen.

Now that winter is firmly behind us, many households are throwing open their windows and letting the fresh spring air circulate through their homes. While warm weather means an end to damp and dreary conditions and the start of evenings spent outdoors in the garden, there are also some downsides to the arrival of spring.

Most notably, spring also heralds the arrival of insects. Some of these insects, like bees and butterflies, are a welcome sight for gardeners, but others are less appealing - especially when they find their way into your home.

Ants are one insect that no one likes seeing indoors. While they're generally pretty harmless outside, they can make your skin crawl if you see them on your kitchen counters in the morning.

Luckily, there is a quick and easy way to get rid of these unwelcome guests and prevent them from coming back, just by using two items that you probably have in your kitchen already.

A viral TikTok video demonstrated how to use baking soda and sugar to effectively treat ant infestations. The method does also work on cockroaches if you happen to find them in your home, but they are not as common in the UK as they are in warmer countries like the US.

The man in the video explained: "You're going to need some baking soda and some sugar. It doesn't really matter what kind of sugar you use, the sugar is just to attract the ants and the cockroaches."

He suggested mixing one cup of baking soda with one cup of sugar, but you can use more or less depending on the size of your infestation. The most important thing to remember is that you need to maintain the 1:1 ratio - so if you increase the baking soda, increase the sugar, too.

If the ants' entry point is visible, the man recommends sprinkling this mixture directly over the area. However, if the entry point is unknown, it's advisable to distribute a layer of the powdery concoction along the skirting boards.

He explained: "What's going to happen is the cockroaches and the ants are both going to eat this mixture because they're going to be attracted to the sugar. But it's going to have baking soda mixed in with it.

"They're going to be completely fine for now, but when they go back to their nest, and they drink water, a chemical reaction will happen inside their stomach, and it's going to kill them."

What's more, the ants will transport the mixture back to their nest, sharing it with other ants that didn't venture into your home, ultimately leading to the eradication of the entire colony.

To tackle an ant problem, you first need to make sure there's no reason for the insects to find your home attractive. This means you need to remove food sources by cleaning up any crumbs, spills, or leftover food in your home. Empty your rubbish bins and wipe down countertops with a mixture of vinegar and water to destroy scent trails.

There are a range of home remedies you can use to try and get rid of ants: