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While sugar-loving ants prefer liquid baits, grease and protein-eating ants respond best to solid, crumbly baits. Again, you’ll have to first identify the ant to know which bait will work best. Whether you’ve recently had an ant invasion or just want to enjoy an ant-free lunch on your patio, read on to learn four ways to get rid of ants outside and prevent them from returning. Lavender boasts calming properties that help us drift to sleep at night, but it has the opposite effect on insects like moths and beetles.
How to Get Rid of Ants in the Kitchen - USA TODAY
How to Get Rid of Ants in the Kitchen.
Posted: Fri, 26 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
What Is the Fastest Way to Get Rid of Ants?
Wipe leaves clean to eliminate the food source for ants, and consider placing aphid-killing plant spikes in the soil of any houseplants. Ants are common invaders of homes across the United States and are mostly harmless. They can be hard to get rid of, but it’s possible to repel and eradicate ants over time using the natural methods described above. Commercial products are also available to help kill or detract these pests.
Boiling water
It’s often used as a cleaning product, emulsifier, or insect repellant. According to the National Wildlife Federation, there are more than 12,000 species of ants around the world. Along with cleaning laundry, Borax — also known as sodium borate — is a natural mineral that will kill any ants that ingest it. If you've noticed that ants have started moving into your kitchen or pantry, it's time to take action.
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Granules, gels, and foam ant killers are ideal for destroying nests. Gel and foam versions work best for hard-to-reach crevices (e.g. under lap siding) since they come with long extension tubes. On the other hand, we recommend granules if you’re tackling ant hills on your lawn or in your pavers. If you don’t want to go the chemical route, pour boiling water into the nests’ openings for a natural approach. Keep in mind that boiling water kills vegetation, so avoid using it on your lawn or near flower beds. You can saturate ant trails to kill on contact, or spray counters and other areas and either wipe up after a few minutes or allow the treatment to dry in place.
Odorous House Ant
The ants are known to live in very large colonies preying on raisin moth larvae. The ants are highly problematic as they often invade various crops and plants such as oranges. Flower buds are often damaged by these ants as they chew these flowers to get to the sweet juice. They made their way to California where they are considered household pests. You can also create a barrier indoors at a doorway in your home that ants are infiltrating with the powder. In fact, a chrysanthemum's hit list is extensive and includes roaches, ants, silverfish, lice, bed bugs and mites.
One of the best ways how to get rid of ants in the house and keep them out is to practice proper sanitation. Like many people, ants find the smell of raw pepper to be irritating. Sprinkle pepper around the areas where ants access the house. A Texas A&M study found that a water and pepper solution was effective at killing ants.
This is likely due to the insecticidal properties of eugenol, a compound extracted from clove. Mix Borax with equal parts water and sugar to make a syrup, and leave it in the corners where you've noticed ants. This method will work to kill the entire colony in roughly 24 to 48 hours, as the worker ants will bring the liquid back to the nest. If, on the other hand, you're dealing with red imported fire ants, trying an erythritol-based sweetener, like Swerve and NutraSweet, may be an effective way to get rid of them.
Baking Soda and Boric Acid
If these fail, try using bait traps or commercial repellants. Some sprays contain only natural, plant-based ingredients, leaving pleasant scents that are enjoyable to humans and threatening to ants. Always check the back of the product to see if it’s effective against the ant species you’re trying to eliminate.
How to Get Rid of Ants in Your Home Using DIY Traps
Place ground cinnamon around common entryways and its strong smell will act as a natural repellent. You can also coat cotton balls with cinnamon powder or cinnamon oil and place them near ant-prone areas. Finding ants here and there is far more common than severe infestations. It’s likely you’re experiencing a mild seasonal invasion, and you may be seeing ants in specific areas, like behind the toilet or around your kitchen windowsill. Understand that traps alone will not solve your ant issue. In fact, they may make the problem worse before it gets better, and under some circumstances, the problem could get worse altogether.
Fights emerge all the time as the Immigrant Pavement Ant is one of the aggressive ant species in California. Thousands of dead ants can be found on pavements following these fights. With the exception of worker ants, all other ants of the species are nocturnal. Worker ants also go out during the day being attracted by dead animals. The decaying liver has been used as bait for the species.
The boiling water won’t be enough to kill off the entire colony. For this reason, make sure to treat every ant hole you see within your home’s proximity. You may be able to find peppermint oils at your local grocery chain or health food store. Black or red (cayenne) pepper is a natural ant deterrent, as the insects may find the smell irritating. Borax, or sodium tetraborate, is a powdery white substance.
If the proverbial cupboards at your house are bare, they’ll look elsewhere. Ants search for food using pheromones, leaving a trail for other ants to follow. To get rid of the trail, spray this mixture anywhere you spot ants. Don't forget any entry points, like window sills, backdoors, or baseboards.
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