Sooner or later, everyone finds ants in your house. Seeing an occasional ant doesn’t mean you have a dirty house or that you are not a good cleaner. Sometimes ants are able to get inside by hitching onto pets or packages. However, if you continue to find ants in the same place or see several, it’s time for you to get serious about eliminating ants from your home.
Ant Infestation Signs
Two obvious signs that you have a problem are finding ants in your pet’s food bowl or a line of them on the kitchen counter. Although it is a rare trait, some people are able to smell ant infestations. Other serious signs include discarded ant wings on window sills and sugar ants in food.
Some kinds of ants consume wood and establish colonies inside walls. They may be seen coming out of light switches or electric outlets, or if you listen, you might hear rustling sounds. Small sawdust trails are left by carpenter ants near window ledges and baseboards. Over the long run, beams will be hollowed out by these ants and destroy the wooden structures in your home.
Non-Toxic Steps For Eliminating Ants Inside
If you definitely know you have an ant infestation to deal with, don’t use bug poison or insecticides. That will most likely just kill the scouts or worker ants without the queen being harmed. To eliminate ants permanently, the colony needs to be destroyed. The following give steps can be used to accomplish this.
Seal Entry Points
The entry points that are being used by ants to enter your house need to be found. Use flexible caulk to fill gaps close to pipes and utility lines. Do the same things with gaps close to doors and windows. Check the weather-stripping seals as well. Epoxy sealer can be used on hairline cracks in the foundation. If any larger cracks are found, call a professional.
Attack the Ant Trail
When scout ants are looking for food, they leave a pheromones path to generate a scent trail. When food is found by the scout, it follows the odor back to its nest. The other ants also know this path is safe, and it is used for entering your house. You can use a mixture of water and vinegar, glass cleaner, or soapy water to destroy the ant scent. Spray in any place where ants have been seen.
Use A Homemade Ant Killer
Whenever the homemade ant killer is eaten by ants in your house, within 24 hours, it dehydrates them. In the meantime, some of this powder is carried back to the colony and kills other ants.
Homemade Ant Powder
Inside a container that has a tight-fitting lid, mix together ¼ cup each of whey protein powder or powdered (confectioner’s sugar, borax, and diatomaceous earth. Shake well and wait a couple of minutes to allow the contents to settle.
Add a spoonful to a plate and place it where it cannot be reached by pets and kids, such as under sinks or on top of cabinets. Or a dusting applicator can be used for placing bait into tight areas where ants have been seen. (For example, under appliances or near baseboards. For
2 weeks to reapply every other day.
Homemade Liquid Ant Killer
Dissolve ¼ cup of honey and one tablespoon of borax in 2 cups hot water to make this liquid ant killer. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and then mist it onto a folded paper towel or cotton pad. Place the cotton on a plate in an area where the ants have been seen. The honey will cause them to nibble the bait, and the borax will cause damage after they have reached the colony. Shake the bottle well before using it and reapply it every day.
How to Eliminate Ants in the Kitchen
Cleaning the kitchen and properly storing food will deprive ants of food sources, which also makes your ant extermination even easier.
Place pet food, flours, grain, and cereal into air-tight containers to prevent ants from accessing them. During the peak season for ants, wash your dishes immediately after using them and wipe your counters frequently. Vacuum or sweep your kitchen floor every night, so it is free of spills and crumbs. Also, pick pet bowls up at night or place a thin Vaseline layer on the base so that ants cannot crawl inside the bowl.
How to Eliminate Ants in the Bathroom
During hot weather, ants enter bathrooms searching for moisture and somewhere to cool down. Check under your sink once a month at least and fix any leaks that are found. Clean the bathroom floor on a regular basis to remove dead skin and hair, which ants are food sources. Then apply a homemade ant liquid or powder to baseboards and under sinks during the spring and summer.
When You Should Call A Professional
If you have tried everything and a small number of ants turn into an army, you may have an infestation. Call a professional to inspect your house. They will be able to identify the species of ant and exterminate them properly.
