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Fortunately, there are natural ant-repellent methods to get rid of ants without calling an exterminator. Here are 7 easy and natural methods for getting rid of ants in your home or yard. Here's how to get rid of ants, including natural ant repellents, ant prevention tips and ant bait and killer spray recommendations. Another strong scent that is said to deter ants is citrus.
How do I get rid of ants?
But oftentimes co-existing with creatures that want to hang in my home is disconcerting. And even though I live in the city, nature has a way of creeping in. If you can identify an outdoor nest that is sending workers inside your home, drench it with an approved insecticide spray (following all label directions). Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry's most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40+ years of experience and 20+ years of writing experience.
Use Boric Acid
If you’re concerned about chemicals, ask the exterminator what substances they typically use in ant treatments before you hire them. Look for one who’s committed to using the least toxic products possible. Let them know if you have children, pets, or other concerns, such as a respiratory health condition. Diluted neem and products containing neem extract have been reported to not work nearly as well as full-strength neem oil. Neem oil is a naturally occurring insecticide extracted from the neem tree, native to India. You can purchase tea tree oil at your local grocery store, health food store, or online.
Use Outdoor Spray Pesticides
T0 stop your pesky ant problem in its tracks, we've gathered the best methods to get rid of ants safely and keep them at bay year-round. Whether you're approaching the problem from the indoors or outdoors, read on for how to get rid of ants safely. When threatened or crushed, odorous house ants give off a smell of rotten coconut, hence their name. While these ants do not pose a public health risk, they can contaminate food.
Cut off sources of food
This sometimes works as a natural fire ant killer recipe but a stronger solution may be required. From rummaging in my trash, to getting into my cereal boxes and sealed sugar container. At first I tried sprays which killed them instantly but they’d come back.
Again, place it around the areas where ants are coming into your home. Aim for doors, windowsills, floors, flower pots and any tiny gaps. After wiping up the deceased ants, coat the areas around windowsills and doors where they normally come inside. You can also use lemon juice instead of vinegar, by mixing it with three parts of water. The species commonly seen inside the home are pavement ants, odorous house ants, or pharaoh ants (also known as sugar ants).
Now you've cleared away all the factors attracting ants to your house, and their means of getting in, it's time to learn how to get rid of ants that just won't seem to go. You can buy pre-made ant poison, but Jordan Foster, Pest Technician at Fantastic Pest Control recommends creating a boric acid-based bait for increased chances of success. Unfortunately it is our culinary spaces that we're most likely to find ants, because they're attracted to food. Walking into the kitchen and seeing a swarm of ants scurrying towards our cabinets is not a pleasant sight to be greeted by.
It’s not always necessary to reach for a bottle of ant poison. If you have small children or pets around the home, you might not want to run the risk of laying potentially dangerous chemicals. The worker ants will carry the pesticide bait back to the nest. It can take several days to eliminate the colony but you will gradually see an end to the infestation.
There are all kinds of traps and chemicals to get the job done, but natural methods can achieve the same goal without the environmental repercussions. If you’re keen to learn all about it, we’ve listed 7 such methods here, along with how to prevent ants from returning in the future. Bait traps that contain pesticides in an enclosed form may be preferable for some people over sprays.
The ants eat the bait and bring some of it back to their nests, killing off other ants. Ants are attracted to sweet and starchy foods like sugar, honey, and cornmeal. Therefore, one of the best ways to deter ants is to ensure that no food sources are readily available for them to eat.
That said, certain items may not be safe to use around pets or children. Keeping your kitchen spotless will help banish the presence of ants, looking out for any food crumbs or spills. We recommend mixing up a distilled white vinegar spray to destroy the scout ant's scent trail or opting for a lemon-infused cleaner to keep them at bay. Areas to target include hard surfaces, including floors and countertops. Remember to take steps to make your home less inviting to ants. Put all food away in tightly sealed containers and wipe surfaces throughly.
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You could feed your pet in smaller regular batches to achieve this. There are also sealed food bowls available to help keep any odours contained, such as Sure Petcare SureFeed Micrchip Pet Feeder. Spills should be cleaned up immediately and opened food and drinks should either be sealed in a container or kept in the fridge. Don’t leave dirty plates or pans stacked up in the sink, or sticky food wrappers dotted around the home. All kinds of food will attract ants, particularly sweet and sugary foods. Carefully carry the pot outside and slowly pour the hot water into the top of the ant hill.
You can then vacuum the entire area to get rid of both the ants and the cornflower. It that is not effective, add water to the cornflower once it's in the affected area. It’s not fun when your home is invaded by ants, but you can combat it naturally with items you probably have in the kitchen.
As common household pests go, ants can try a homeowner’s patience. According to National Geographic, there are more than 10,000 known species of ants in the world. But carpenter ants can damage wood, and ant varieties like fire ants, harvester ants, field ants, and crazy ants can bite or sting people and pets.
With that pleasant thought in mind, we asked our pest-management experts about the best way to get rid of ants. The same can’t be said of carpenter ants, which chew through rotten or damp wood, potentially damaging windows, doors, or even structural framing in the process. Scatter all-purpose flour liberally at door thresholds, on window sills and across foundations. Or use a sifter to apply a dusting of flour directly along their path to disrupt their pheromone trail.
Odorous house ants are only about 1/8-inch long and have beehive-shaped abdomens. Wingless adult ants are the colony’s workers, who are in charge of gathering food, feeding larvae, sustaining the nest, and protecting the colony. Though ants are familiar insects, in the home, they are sometimes confused with termites. If you look closely enough, you can tell an ant by its slim middle and curved antennae.
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