Ants are notorious for their destructive habits. They destroy food and can even carry diseases (depending on the species). You can prevent ants from building nests inside your home by using ant bait or using commercial-grade ant spray to kill them.
If you prefer natural pest management, there are a variety of options available too. Continue reading to learn about these.
What does an ant nest look like?
Nests made by ants are dome-shaped structures with tunnels leading inside. A little pile of soil or dirt can serve as a nest location. They range in shape and size depending on the species. Nests are most commonly found under eaves, deck railings, bridges, rocks, bricks, or on tree trunks. Sometimes ants make nests deep inside concrete walls. Ceramic tile floors are a favourite material for ants because of their hard surface.
What repels or kills ants?
The chemicals used to keep ants away from your home are called repellents. Some people use them regularly. Find out which repellents are most effective if you want to permanently get rid of ants.
The following are some of the most widely used ant repellents:
Boric acid – This chemical is often used to prevent ants from getting into food storage areas. It’s also useful for killing ants once they’ve made their way inside.
Citronella – A natural plant extract that acts as an insecticide. It smells good and works great at keeping ants out of your kitchen.
Essential oils – Essential oils such as peppermint, clove, and citrus oil may act as a deterrent. You can get them online or at local stores.
Powdered charcoal – Charcoal is a porous form of carbon. It absorbs odours and keeps the air clean. Use it to deter ants before they make their way indoors, as it confuses their communication system.
You can combine these different methods to create your own personal pest control plan.
What attracts ants?
Ants are attracted to food sources. Ants can smell the pheromones of other ants from a distance. The scent is released through their antennae and it travels up into the brain where they interpret what it means. It means that they should follow the scent because their comrade ant has found food.
Sugar is the food that ants are most drawn to. Sadly, sugar may be found in the majority of foods and drinks. They enjoy chowing down on sweet-smelling foods and beverages that contain high fructose corn syrup. Ants benefit greatly from food spills and crumbs, and ants favour any food that has a strong smell. In addition, ants also enjoy eating dead insects, and other organic debris, such as leaves, as well as oil and grease.
When do ants come out?
Ants generally emerge from underground chambers during warm weather in the springtime to look for food. During the summer, large numbers of winged queen ants come out to fly and find a mate (commonly known as flying ant day).
Furthermore, ants are most active at night. About 15 minutes after sunset, workers emerge from the nest. They follow chemical trails in search of food, sometimes hundreds of feet from the nest, and often produce permanent, well-worn pathways through the grass, similar to cow paths.
After working, workers return to the nest to rest and socialise with other members. During the day, ants tend to be more solitary than at night. In fact, ants may spend the daytime resting on logs or stones rather than returning home.
How long do ants live?
Ants can live for a few weeks to several decades, depending on their gender and colony status.Male ants, for example, live the shortest lives, only lasting long enough to procreate with female ants before dying after a few weeks.
Female worker ants live in the colony for a few months at a time, working and serving their queen until they die. Finally, the queen of an ant colony can live for many years, even up to 15 years.
The black garden ant has one of the longest lifespans among the 13,800 ant species (Lasius niger).
How to get rid of red ants from the lawn?
Red ants nest underground in the soil; so, we need to dig the ground around plants and trees and look for nests. After finding a nest, we should use the following steps:
- Get rid of the source of the problem by treating it as a serious pest. If necessary, call for professional assistance.
- Put crushed garlic on the affected area. Garlic is known to stifle the growth of insects and the spread of disease-causing organisms. But remember that when crushing garlic, you must not breathe its fumes because it contains sulphur compounds that can damage the lungs and eyes.
- Sprinkle dry baking soda on the nest. Baking soda is an alkaline agent that will absorb moisture, thus drying out the eggs and larvae. It’s usually effective within 24 hours.
- Saturate the soil area around the nest with a strong soap solution mixed with one part bleach to ten parts water. The liquid needs to cover the entire nest area.
- Use small amounts of insecticide spray such as carbaryl, a widely available organic pesticide. Spray near the top layer of the soil and let it dry completely.
You can try different methods to control your ants but if there are thousands of them then it’s highly recommended to get a professional exterminator to come and help control them.
How to get rid of ants from your house?
There are a variety of ways to get rid of ants both inside and outside your home. To repel ants indoors:
- Use non-toxic products like essential oils, citronella candles, or peppermint oil-infused water bottles.
- Make sure you get rid of clutter in your home. Small crumbs of food attract ants. Ants prefer foods rich in protein and carbohydrates. Make sure sinks, tubs, trash cans, and refrigerators are clean.
- Remove access to food. Try placing all food in sealed bags or containers.
What happens if you don’t remove ants?
Depending on the type of ant, you might get bitten. For example, common red ants bite. Normally, it’s black ants that like to enter homes. Black ants don’t bite. But they do forage for food and it’s not pleasant having a colony of ants running around your kitchen and finding them in your food. If you don’t get rid of them, the problem may spread as the queen continues to lay eggs.
One ant to really watch out for is Pharaoh ants. Pharaoh ants carry disease, but thankfully they are not very common. If you have Pharaoh ants, it would be best to throw out your food to avoid getting sick. Pharaoh ants are extremely difficult to get rid of because if you attack a colony it will splinter into multiple colonies and spread through the building. This is due to the fact that this species has multiple queen ants cohabitating. Call Merlin if you have an issue with Pharaoh ants. Click the button in the blue banner below.
