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Why ants come into your kitchen in the first place

Ants are not out to ruin your day. In the UK, the black garden ant is the usual culprit, and it enters kitchens for three simple reasons: food, water and shelter. A single crumb of cake, a sticky honey jar, a drip under the sink or a warm gap behind the skirting board is enough to start a trail. During spring and summer, workers scout for sugar and protein, then lay a pheromone scent that tells the rest of the colony exactly where to go. The good news is that you do not need to kill them. If you remove the invitation and block the doorway, they will look elsewhere. This is especially true in smallholdings, where kitchens often sit close to outbuildings, compost heaps and animal feed.

Follow the trail before you clean it away

Before you reach for a cloth, spend five minutes watching. Ants usually travel in a neat line along worktops, behind the kettle, under the toaster or along the edge of the floor. Follow that line backwards to find the entry point. It might be a crack in the tile grout, a gap where a pipe enters the wall, a loose window frame or a hole in the mortar near the back door. Look low as well as high: ants often come in at floor level and climb. If you disturb the trail, they may scatter, so use a torch and be patient. Once you know where they are getting in, you can solve the problem at the source rather than chasing stragglers around the kitchen.

Seal cracks and gaps with simple, safe materials

Exclusion is the most humane and longest-lasting method. Fill small cracks in tiles, skirting boards and window frames with silicone sealant, decorator's caulk or fine grout. For larger gaps around pipes, use a flexible sealant that stays slightly rubbery. Check the bottom of doors and fit a brush strip or draught excluder if there is a gap. Air bricks and vents need to stay open for ventilation, but you can cover them with fine insect mesh on the outside. Do not block them completely. In older properties, look for gaps behind kitchen units and where old pipes have been removed. A tube of sealant and an afternoon's work will stop far more ants than any spray.

Clean smarter: remove the scent trail and food residue

Ants rely on scent, so cleaning is not just about crumbs. Wipe worktops, cupboard fronts and floors with a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water. Vinegar breaks down the pheromone trail, so even if a few ants return, they lose the map. Pay attention to the sticky bits: jam jars, honey lids, syrup bottles, pet food bowls, recycling bins and the crumb tray of the toaster. Rinse cans and jars before putting them in the recycling. Store open food in glass jars, airtight tubs or the fridge. Fix dripping taps and dry the sink overnight, because ants need water as much as food. If you have pets, lift their bowls between meals or stand them in a shallow tray of water to create a simple moat.

Use natural repellents such as vinegar and citrus

Once the trail is clean and the gaps are sealed, natural repellents can keep ants from settling back in. White vinegar is the workhorse: spray it neat or diluted on worktops, skirting boards and door thresholds, but test on delicate surfaces first. Citrus is another good option. Simmer orange or lemon peel in water, strain it, and use the cooled liquid as a wipe or spray. You can also leave small pieces of peel near entry points, though they need replacing as they dry. Cinnamon sticks, cloves and a few drops of peppermint or lavender essential oil on a cotton wool pad can help, but use them sparingly. Essential oils are strong, and some are harmful to cats, dogs and children, so keep them out of reach and never apply them directly to surfaces your pets lick.

Keep ants out for good in homes, gardens and smallholdings

Prevention is a habit, not a one-off job. In the kitchen, wipe surfaces after every meal, sweep or vacuum crumbs daily, and check hidden spots such as under the fridge and behind the bin. In the garden, leave ants alone where you can: they aerate soil and eat other pests. But keep compost heaps and wood piles away from the kitchen door, and clear fallen fruit from around fruit trees. On a smallholding, try these simple routines:

• Store chicken feed, grain and animal nuts in sealed metal bins.
• Clean up spills in the feed room and fix leaking troughs promptly.
• Encourage ladybirds and lacewings to control aphids, which ants farm on fruit trees.
• Wash aphids off soft fruit and apple trees with a jet of water.
• Move any potted plant with an ant nest outside and let the ants leave in their own time.

With a little patience, your kitchen can stay ant-free without harming the wildlife that makes a garden healthy.