A single ant in the house may not be a problem, but a full-blown infestation of these critters is a household nuisance that needs to be dealt with urgently. Ants can sniff out scents from homes and are attracted to the smallest forgotten scraps on the floor.

In some cases, the incentive for ants to enter houses is not to eat, but rather to find a comfortable nesting place.

These pests stay because the nest is conveniently located, food sources are plentiful, and a home provides a warm and safe environment—a situation that is often exacerbated by summer weather.

Usually, however, it is the raids on the pantry that attract ants into the house, as they are opportunistic scavengers who have a particular weakness for sweets.

While chemical insecticides may reduce the ant population, cleaning enthusiasts like Mrs. Hinch recommend going the natural route and sprinkling some baking soda on top.

In Mrs Hinch’s Cleaning Tips and Tricks Facebook group, one agitated homeowner pleaded: “Help! I have ants in the house. Any recommendations to keep them away? I have a dog in the house.”

Mrs. Hinch fans swear that a pinch of baking powder can quickly kill an entire army of ants in the home.

Carla Edwards advises: “If you sprinkle baking soda like insect repellent around the ant colony, you will get rid of them quickly.”

And Liz Gorman reported: “I had them last year and bought cheap baking powder from Asda, it was only 65p. The ants take it to the nest and it kills them.”

Judy Neil noted, “Baking soda works really well. Just sprinkle it where you think they’re coming in.”

Jessica Paine told her success story: “With baking soda, they disappeared immediately, my pets were not affected and so they don’t come back.”

Jackie Preston shared her own tip: “I had read that you could use baking soda. So I sprinkled some next to the front door where the insects come in. I haven’t seen any since.”

Experts at Midway Pest Management explain that baking soda is effective against ants because it “expands when it comes into contact with water,” which can be “lethal to smaller insects like ants.”

It is important to note that baking soda does not act as a deterrent. In fact, ants are attracted to it and will gather around it.

To make baking soda even more irresistible to ants, households can mix it with sugar, which makes it even more attractive to the ant colony.

Since ants have a keen sense of smell, this sugary bait will quickly attract their attention and increase the likelihood of hitting a larger number of ants.

Combining baking soda with any powdered sweetener can achieve the same effect and is an effective homemade solution.