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As summer draws to a close, we're all trying to make the most of the great outdoors. However, this time of year also brings an increase in ant activity.

While Katherine McPhillips of the Express usually doesn't mind ants in her gardendue to their pollinating prowess, she's recently noticed them on her cherry tree and around her dog's water bowl on hot days. The obvious solution might be to reach for an insect repellent, but she says she's not keen on using harsh chemicals near her pets or risk contaminatingher nearly ready-to-harvest plants.

After a bit of kitchen cupboard rummaging and experimentation, she she says she's found a simple yet effective way to deter ants - white vinegar.

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Ants become more of a nuisance in the summer months. Being cold-blooded creatures, their metabolism speeds up with the rising temperatures, leading them to seek out more food.

Consequently, a colony of ants can quickly invade your garden and even your home if they detect any sugary scents nearby.

However, white vinegar is potent enough to obliterate ant pheromone trails, which are essential for their navigation and communication within the colony, making it harder for them to locate food.

And the strong, acidic aroma of white vinegar overwhelms an ant's scent receptors, causing them to steer clear of the area altogether.

Katherine says the beauty of white vinegar is that it deters ants whilst also being safe to use around her dog without the concern of him inhaling harmful fumes.

Laying out her method, Katherine said: "I put some white vinegar and water in a spray bottle and gave it a good shake.

"Then, when I finish work in the late afternoon, I take my dog and spray the solution on my doorstep, near my plants, and anywhere else I want to keep ants away.

"It only takes 10 seconds at most, but this daily habit has stopped ants from destroying my garden and repelled them from my doorstep, so I can also let my dog run around without worrying about them biting him.

"If you do not have white vinegar, you can use lemon juice instead. I sometimes also mix cinnamon into my ant repellent, as ants hate its strong scent.

"However, it has now been 15 days, and I am delighted to say that since using this simple white vinegar trick, I have not noticed any ants being a nuisance, which means both my dog and I can enjoy the rest of the summer in peace."