Ants attacked my yoga mat

Once, I was doing yoga as usual and I decided I've had it! It wasn't the yoga, it was an army of tiny little ants that have taken over my 'yoga room' (which is the room next to the swimming pool in the compound) and made it their highway.

Right next to my yoga mat there was a trail of ants marching back and forth carrying all kinds of insects and weird stuff. Now, don't get me wrong, I usually like to leave bugs alone, but this time it was getting too icky. They were encroaching on the privacy of my mat and there was no way that I was going to meditate with the possibility of ants climbing on my legs.

My husband suggested I just spray them once, get rid of them and then air the room until my next yoga class (because he knows I find insect sprays very toxic and wouldn't spray anything even if my life depended on it!).

'No way!' I thought. So I spent the rest of that yoga class planning my ant revenge.

This was my plan: to get rid of the ants naturally so that I don't have to inhale any toxic stuff while doing yoga and, also, to prevent them from coming back with a natural ant-deterrent.

Here's what happened: we brushed away all the ants, making sure we got them from the beginning of their trail till the end. Then we mopped the whole trail with water and tea tree oil (I read once that it's not good enough if you just brush them away because they can smell the trail and come right back to it). And then, finally, we dusted the whole trail with ground pepper (yes, good old ground black pepper from the spice cabinet).

Almost instantly, the ant problem was resolved. No toxic chemicals, nothing. And I was able to once again do yoga in peace.

Every time I tell people this story, they get surprised at my desire to try natural alternatives for toxic household items. But, it makes perfect sense, doesn't it. Surely our grandmothers had other creative methods before the invention of the chemical household products.

For those of you who are wondering why they need to replace their household cleaners and insect sprays, I must just explain that these products are toxic. They are made with chemicals which we inhale on a regular basis. The constant exposure to toxic fumes can cause major upsets in the body. The liver has to work extra hard at removing these toxins and the whole body suffers as a result. Symptoms can include headaches, nasal congestion, hormonal imbalances, skin problems and even some types of cancers.

Over the past couple of years, I have been looking for, and trying out, natural alternatives for regular household cleaning items (no offense to the makers of these products, but IT IS ALL TOXIC!).

Some houses I've been to use so much of these items, they smell like hospitals! You're trying to clean to prevent the germs and you end up producing other health problems in the process, especially if you have kids.

So here are a few ideas that you can use. These are items that I have personally tried and can attest to. I'm sure you can find many other ideas online or in some books. But for now, try these:

Dust ground black pepper in areas that usually have ants

Put a few drops of peppermint oil in the same areas to deter all kinds of insects (even cockroaches)

Peppermint oil can also be used with a candle instead of those insecticide candles for the garden

For your tiled floor, dip your mop in a bucket of water with a few drops of tea tree oil

Put a few drops of tea tree oil in a bottle of water and use that to clean toilets and basins

For removing toilet stains, use a cup of white vinegar. And, put a teaspoon of baking soda in the toilet water at night while the toilet is being used least and let it sit

Put some white vinegar in water and pour it into an empty bottle and use it to spray stainless steel pots (it's great for removing stains). And, you can also use it to clean the windows!

I found these just by doing a quick internet search, so I'm sure you can find a lot more if you just spend a few more minutes. It will save your health and some money as well!

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