What does cinnamon do to ants?

The ants don't take the cinnamon anywhere because they hate it. So it does not act like a poison. Ants just seem to have a sensitivity to the strong odor of it. This makes sense given that ants communicate and navigate through scent. I've experimented with this myself at home, as I have an ongoing battle in my kitchen. They really seem to hate it. Some people recommend cinnamon sticks, but based on my observation, the ants probably wouldn't be deterred. The powder which can cover some surface area does the trick though... and it smells like I might actually be baking something delicious!