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Effective Ways to Get Rid of Ants

Do you have an ants problem?

By Sunshine JanePublished 2 years ago 7 min read
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Effective Ways to Get Rid of Ants
Photo by Peter F. Wolf on Unsplash

Ants, "social" insects of the family Formicidae, which together with wasps and related bees, the order Hymenoptera, fall into the category of annoying agents. More than 12,500 of an estimated 22,000 species have been classified. They are easily identified by their bent antennae and their narrow, narrow-knotted structure.

By their behavior, ants do not actually cause damage, but they become very annoying to humans, as they appear on the floor, in the bread drawer, at the corners of windows, including in bed.

So you don't have to learn to live with them, especially since these little creatures of discomfort (in the category of flies, cockroaches, or fleas) can transmit dangerous diseases due to the dirty environments in which they live, but just pay attention to what and learn how to get rid of seemingly harmless but annoying ants with a few DIY (Do It Yourself) methods and tricks at your fingertips.

Keep it clean to discourage ants

A clean house is the first defense against insects. Sweep food crumbs, clean the table immediately after eating, take out the trash as often as possible, and do not leave the dishes dirty for too long.

All of these are true sources of food for ants. Another important thing is to pay close attention to your pet's food bowl and sprinkle it with vinegar mixed with water to prevent an ant's feast.

Disinfect the ants' paths

If you see an ant, you will surely see others because the ants leave a fragrant mark that guides the others.

Be careful, ants that arrive in a room do not necessarily come in order to establish their nest, but as a precaution, you can mix 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water in a bottle with an atomizer, and spray on the traces of the visiting ant. However, vinegar and water will not stop the ants that have already formed nests inside.

When you see an ant, the first impulse is to step on it, to kill it, but it's not a solution, because the ones you see are "scout ants" looking for food to take back to the colony. Instead, you can use these scouts to get rid of the entire colony.

Keep in mind that ants taste different from season to season, usually preferring protein, spring, and sweets or fats during the summer. You can use this and, using sugar, honey, fried foods, or peanut butter, you can form toxic baits, which the scout ants will take with them to the nest and even kill the queen.

Liquid baits work best for many sweet-loving ants, and solid baits work best for those who prefer fat. If you still have ants after two weeks, replace the boxes with bait. If this method doesn't work, it's time to move on to nest hunting.

Find the ant nest

The solution to a problem involving insects is to get rid of their nest. If you are dealing with carpenter ants, which can cause visible damage to your home, it is important to destroy them as soon as possible.

Finding the nest is not easy and may even require some detective work. Ants generally prefer wet areas, such as soft, spongy floors, plumbing, or roof leaks. Start by searching the water areas.

Attics, bathrooms, and exterior walls are obvious candidates. When you find the nest, spray an insecticide containing bifenthrin, permethrin, or deltamethrin (write on the label).

After the ant house is destroyed, steps will obviously be taken to ensure that they do not return. But keep in mind that it only works to remove ants, it will not kill those that are already inside.

Because ants are very small, they can make their way through even the thinnest crack. Try to cover the visible ones in the door and window frames.

Use wood or silicone putty to make sure the hole is impenetrable. Also check wall sockets, switches, or cracks. The plinth, the carpet, and even the carpet can hide ants.

Destroy the ants from the yard

Mumps can ruin any meal taken outdoors. If you only have ants in a certain area, such as along the sidewalk, treat the area with an insecticide for the outside.

Spray early in the morning or late afternoon, when ants are most active. You won't kill all the ants in the yard (and I don't think you want to), but the spray will remove most of them and stop them from building mounds.

The best way to get rid of these insects is to destroy the source, the queen because it produces a very large number of ants. Once it disappears, the nest will not grow. The queen does not emerge from the surface but usually sits at the bottom of the nest.

If you notice an ant larger than the rest, do not hesitate to exterminate it, as it is very likely to be a queen in search of a new nest. They are generally 3 times larger than working ants and may have wings.

Eliminate safe ant shelters

Once you have destroyed the ants in the house and yard, take steps to ensure that they do not return.

You can sprinkle salt, vinegar, peppermint oil, cinnamon, pepper, hot peppers, or bay leaves on the door or window area or where ants usually enter. Also, talcum powder, chalk, or lime have the same insect repellent effect.

You will need to make sure that they do not come into contact with children or pets, as they may cause severe allergies or suffocation. A less toxic solution can be made from a teaspoon of pure alcohol, two teaspoons of dishwashing detergent, and 150 ml of water.

Using a sprayer, spray all surfaces that ants come in contact with, the common crossing area (sills, heels), and even the flowers or trees on which they climb. The solution is not harmful, and alcohol will make them stay away in the future.

Install traps

A good trap against them is corn. Allow them to eat as much corn as possible, as they will die when they drink water.

The best poison for ants is a boric acid solution. Depending on its concentration, the effect will be immediate or temporary.

The basic principle is for the infected ant to reach the colony and spread the poison. If the solution is too weak, the effect will be mild and the ants will only be weakened. A powerful solution will kill the ants before they reach the nest.

A new group of ants will always send a few spies to inspect the house. If you notice one or two ants wandering in the kitchen, do not allow them to return to the nest, as they will return with the whole family.

Use a vacuum cleaner with disposable bags and vacuum them. Throw the bag away from the house or burn it to make sure it doesn't come back.

Other effective methods

The only chemicals you need are dishwashing detergent and boric acid. They form a rapid-killing agent for small insects that invade your home. The sugar attracts the ants like a magnet, it is easy to carry by the workers and most of the ants in the nest will be affected.

As with cockroaches, ants will carry the bait on the sugar granules in the nest, and they and all other ants that come in contact with the mixture of substances will be killed.

Another effective solution against house ants is to spray vinegar on areas where you have seen rows of ants. It erases the traces that ants leave behind for their smiles so that they can return to where they found food. Another solution that kills ants is water and chlorine.

Mix them in a spray bottle and apply over the ants.

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