Trouble with ants in your house, who doesn’t know it? In the summer it happens that the inhabitants of a nest of ants manage to find a hole in your house, what can you do about it?
When Is There A Nuisance Caused By Ants?
In the winter the ant will not show itself, but in the spring the ants become diligent and start looking for food. When there is a nest of ants in your garden, for example under the tiles of your terrace, the critters will soon find a hole to enter your house.
In fact, you should already take action when you encounter the first ant in your house. The friends of that first and will follow his trail and before you know it you will have a whole column of ants in your house.
What Attracts The Ants In Your House?
Ants are naturally looking for food, they have a perfect radar to find it, preferably in your kitchen. Because that’s where all the food scraps are. Is it also your habit to leave the dishes until the next day, then it’s party time for those little creepy crawlies. Sweets, bread, and cookie crumbs, they love it.
Types Of Ants
Most of the time you will find the common native ants in your home. These ants are fairly easy to control. However, there is also a tropical ant that can survive in our country, this is the pharaoh ant. This ant is smaller than the native ant. If you have very small ants in your house (approx. 3mm), you should call in a pest controller. This tropical ant does not make its nest outside, but somewhere inside your house.
Not Just Nuisance
The ants are not just annoying and itchy. They also bring bacteria into your home, and especially into your kitchen. This is of course not hygienic. Therefore, always proceed to combat the critters.
How To Fight Ants In Your House
You can fight ants in different ways. The first thing to do is find the nest. Once you have found the nest, you can destroy it by pouring boiling water into the nest. If you find this too barbaric, you can buy ant killer in the store. You can buy ant bait boxes or ant powder at a garden center, a household store, or some supermarkets. Ant bait boxes contain poison, just like ant powder.
The bait boxes have the advantage that the poison remains in the box. The pesticide is not only poisonous to the ants but can also be harmful to you or your pet(s). That is why you should always wash your hands thoroughly after touching a bait box or a can of antacids. You can place ant bait boxes in the course of the ant column. You can use the powder by sprinkling it on and around the nest. Please note that your pet or small children cannot reach it.
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Biological Pesticide For Ants In Your House
There are also less aggressive products on the market, you will also find biological pesticides at garden centers. Some of these merely interrupt the scent trail. This is an effective method, where the nest just continues to exist, the ants will look for a different food source than in your house.
Home Remedies For Ants In Your House
Do you prefer a softer and safer approach? Then you can try one of the following home remedies to distract the ants from the scent trail they make. Here, too, they can no longer find their way to their food source.
- Coffee grounds
- Red pepper
- Egg-shell
- African marigolds and tansy
- Onion and garlic juice
- Lavender leaves