It’s never fun to find that you’ve got an infestation of ants around or in your home. Ants are challenging to get rid of. They’re social beings. They live in wide nesting colonies. Like bees, the colony has a queen and a lot of workers who take care of it. She’s the only one to lay eggs. When workers are foraging ants, they leave a pheromone trail to alert their tribe that they have found a food source.
Locate the Nest
If you think that the ants are breeding in your house, you just need to locate the nest to get rid of it. If you see ants in your kitchen all year long, they’re possibly staying inside. Ants are going to nest by burrowing into wood. The nest can be inside the wall or in the attic. If you can find a nest, you are likely to have to use a chemical pesticide to get rid of it.
Seal Openings
If the ants come inside during warmer weather, it is a good measure to seal as many entry points as possible on the outside of your home. The ants appear to creep in at the bottom of the roof, through pipe penetrations, and where the cables reach the room. Plants will also be used to climb up to the window sills. The caulking and sealing of cracks and holes is a good idea.
Be Sanitary and Cautious
Cleanliness is one of the best defenses you have against ants. Wipe down the countertops, clean the dirty dishes, and keep the garbage covered. Don’t leave out the food, especially the sweet food. Place grain, other starches, sugar, and any sweet syrup or honey in tightly sealed containers.
Diatomaceous Earth
Powdered, food-grade diatomaceous earth can be conveniently used around the edges of the kitchen counters. It rips through the exoskeletons of the ants and dries them out. Eventually, those who walk through it will die. This isn’t going to get rid of the queen who’s staying at home all day.
Use Bait
The queen has to go. Otherwise, the workers will start to feed her, so she will begin to lay eggs. The store’s bought bait traps aren’t that effective. You can place drops along the base boards and in the counter’s corners with a sweet gel bait. These drops are going to attract the ants. They ‘re going to eat the bait and take it back to their queen. She’s going to eat it, and hopefully, that’s going to put a stop to the colony. You can make your bait, too.
Be DiligentAs described above, ants are very difficult to get rid of. You will be vigilant in keeping up with the infestation. You may need to hire a professional exterminator in very bad cases. It might be discouraging, but don’t give up because it’ll only get worse if you do it.