Ken is right; lots of people use cinnamon and I'm one of them. Used as a repellant I sprinkle on top of the pot and some around the base. The ants don't like it. It won't kill them but they do move on. This spice also has ant-bacterial properties and a lot of orchid growers use it to sprinkle on wounds or when they're pruning orchids, especially. Since I like the smell I don't mind flinging it around when so inclined (I buy the cheap $1.00 bottles from the Dollar Store for this purpose).
I've been telling people for years and years to keep a little spritz bottle handy, filled with white vinegar; something you can carry with you out in the garden. I used to develop nasty, itchy and painful postules from ant bites years ago and someone told me about the white vinegar. If applied early enough the postules never develop. We have a lot of ants in Florida !
