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How to Get Rid of Ants Naturally

Many ant are walking on plaster walls.

How do you get rid of ants the natural way?

  1. Prepare a white vinegar solution
  2. Try using peppermint
  3. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth
  4. Remove food sources
  5. Eliminate the nesting sites

 

Let’s admit it, you dread having ants inside the house. Their bites are not only painful, but their colonies can cause property damage as well. With this, you might be wondering about how to get rid of ants naturally.

Ants are pests that have about 12,000 species scattered all over the world. While it’s true that only a small chunk of this can be identified as home invaders, there are some types you need to watch out for. Fire ants are aggressive and can cause painful bites. On the other hand, carpenter ants are responsible for structural damage.

Once ants take over your living spaces, they can be challenging to get rid of. This is especially true in areas where food is present. Luckily, we are here to suggest some helpful natural remedies to ensure there are no ants invading your house. Read on!

 

Prepare A White Vinegar Solution

You read it right. Ants absolutely hate white vinegar. This is because they cannot bear the strong scent that comes with it.

Prepare a white vinegar solution. Do this by mixing equal amounts of water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Shake it well and spray your natural pesticide at entry points. Some of the most common entry points are windowsills and doorways. This will definitely stop ants from entering your household in the first place.

 

Try Using Peppermint

Try Using Peppermint

If you can’t seem to stand the smell of white vinegar, make use of peppermint. You can try planting mint around your household or use its essential oil version. As ants hate the smell of peppermint, it makes an effective and natural remedy for your infestation problems.

Simply mix ten drops of peppermint essential oil and two cups of water. Wipe the mixture in the suspected areas and let it dry.

 

Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth

Head to the nearest store and purchase a food-grade diatomaceous earth powder. It is a very effective pest killer that does not harm humans and even pets.

It’s comprised of tiny fossil shards known as diatoms. Once the ants walk over the diatomaceous earth, their bodies will dry out and break down. This happens because the microscopic sharp edges of the powder cut through the cuticles of ants’ exoskeletons.

Sprinkle a thin layer of the diatomaceous earth around baseboards, windowsills, and areas where you frequently see ants.

It would be wise to be cautious of inhaling diatomaceous earth. While it is not poisonous, the tiny particles can make it hard for you to breathe. In addition, store the powder in a dry place. It becomes ineffective when it gets wet. This also applies when the air is damp.

 

Remove Food Sources

Teamwork concept,Ants eating sugar from popcorn caramel.

Just like other pests, ants are devised to detect and seek out food sources. As we stated earlier, there are numerous ant species. Other species tend to prefer certain foods over others.

From sugary food, decaying sources of proteins, grass, to even other bugs – ants have quite a diverse diet. With that being said, the most obvious tip to getting rid of ants naturally is to remove their food sources.

Never make it easy for ants to munch on your food. Stop leaving out leftovers and wipe every spill on kitchen countertops. Store all your food items in tightly sealed containers as well. Never leave unwashed dishes in the sink overnight. Moreover, ensure that your trashcans have lids.

Ants are persistent creatures. To avoid infestations, it would be wise to keep your household clean and tidy all the time.

 

Eliminate the Nesting Sites

If it so happens that ants still swarm your household after the sprays and traps, you’ll have to look for their nest.

Observe where the trail of ants is leading to. Follow it as far as you can. Depending on the species you’re dealing with, you might find the ant nest inside your house, hidden on debris, or old vegetation.

No infestation is the same. To know about the kind of species you’re dealing with, seek out the help of professional pest control service providers. They are the ones who know how to properly take out ant nests and they will give you advice on the habits to avoid infestations as well.

 

Key Takeaway

When it comes to the question of how to get rid of ants naturally, follow the five tips stated above. Remember, if you have a severe infestation in your household that seems too much for you to handle, rely on the professional help of Topbest.

With years of experience in the industry, the Topbest team is the leading pest control service provider in the Philippines. Our team will effectively get rid of those pesky ants for you!

Click here to know more about our effective solutions today.

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Stop Leaving Crumbs: How Ant Infestations Start

Ant Infestations

How do ant infestations start?

  1. Food crumbs
  2. Weather
  3. Leaving sweets and other foods out in the open
  4. Keeping dirt around
  5. Dead pests

In the Philippines, a pest control service is most often in demand. Why? Take this scenario for example: A man and a woman are preparing for a lovely day out in a local park. The man is carrying a picnic basket, while the woman, a tablecloth. She sets the cloth on the ground, while the man sets the basket nearby, and brings out the items inside: plates, sandwiches, snacks, cutlery, two wine glasses, and a bottle of champagne.

As they enjoy their small feast, the woman notices a disturbance. Shrieking in horror, she sees a group of ants carrying their sandwiches, snacks, two wine glasses, and even the bottle of champagne. The couple watches in horror as the ants carry their food into their anthill, fitting everything inside.

Yep, you probably remembered this scene during your Saturday morning cartoons as a kid. It was funny, but it didn’t highlight the seriousness of the situation wherein an ant infestation can ruin a good day. It can be detrimental to just about anyone and can happen almost anywhere, especially in homes. Point given, it’s not a surprise that pest control services are often needed to rescue ant infested areas.

But just how does an ant infestation start? In this article, we’ll take a look at the reasons how such infestations can start within your home.

Food Crumbs

The most common cause of ant infestations is the presence of food crumbs. According to an article written by Dr. Barbara Ogg, the ants feed on sweet foods and starchy substances. Basically, they like the same kind of food we do, which is why they can suddenly invade our home and loot food from our kitchen. If you notice this happening in your home, a colony may already be developing.

Leaving food crumbs unattended can attract different kinds of ant species, which is why it is important to sweep them off the table or other surfaces. In fact, the mere act of dropping food crumbs anywhere can lead to disastrous and uncomfortable situations. For example, you are eating your favorite pastry while surfing the net with your laptop on your lap. You fail to notice the crumbs falling onto your keyboard and inside your laptop, with ants following not far behind. Come the next day, you decide to use your laptop and you find that it doesn’t work anymore. Ants can bring more than discomfort as it can bring a certain amount of inconvenience to anything you plan or are currently doing.

Two kinds of ant species to watch out for are the carpenter ants and fire ants. Aside from food, carpenter ants burrow through wooden surfaces to build nests for their colony. If they happen to nest in a wooden furnishing or area of your house, it may affect the structure’s integrity.

ant infestation

On the other hand, fire ants cause very painful bites and different reactions on their victims, depending on the kind of allergies they have. The bite of a fire ant may cause a welt that eventually leads to a white pustule, a bump filled with fluid or pus. It can also lead to an extremely itching sensation emanating from the welts, which in turn can cause minor wounds when scratched too much or too hard.

Weather

Aside from food morsels, the climate also plays a role in ant infestations. During the rainy season, ants seek higher ground due to their nest’s structure being moistened by rain. Due to this, ants seek shelter in people’s homes. The inverse is also true. During summer months, ants, among other insects, find protection from the extreme heat. If they find a house nearby, they will take refuge there and cause an infestation.

Since the weather is a matter of discussion, the notion of keeping your food crumbs above ground is of utmost importance. You wouldn’t want any ant of any kind to suddenly swarm over your area as if it’s a feast for them to enjoy

Leaving Sweets and Other Foods Out in the Open

After crumbs, leaving out pastries, sweets, and anything in between can attract a lot of ants in your home. It is important to avoid leaving any food unrefrigerated, and keep sugar canisters tightly sealed at all times…” Doing this protects your home from the possibility of an infestation.

Another thing about this is that this is not only limited to sweets. Other foods of any food group are also susceptible to ant invasions, which in turn can cause some problems within the four walls of your home. Think about it, the food you spent so much time preparing has been swarmed by these tiny creatures all because it wasn’t stored properly. With that said, the importance of proper food storage has now been greatly emphasized.

Keeping Dirt Around

Besides food bringing out these creatures out of hiding, the notion of a dirty household is, and will always be a factor in what attracts ants. Think about it, you suddenly see ants around your home without having dropped any crumbs or leaving any exposed food.

Since cleanliness is a virtue in every household, it’s imperative to keep your home clean as much as possible. You wouldn’t want to have these tiny pests suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

Dead Pests

Ants aren’t the only pests to be dealt with. There’s always cockroaches, rats, termites, and the occasional spider to worry about.

When it comes to getting rid of them, there are countless ways to do so. But what happens to the bodies when done so? If left where they were, it can lead to swarms of ants coming towards it and feasting on it. Sometimes, they even carry the bodies out of the area for their own disposal.

Ants are one of nature’s natural disposal systems as a majority of them devour dead animals and insects after a certain amount of time has passed. With that said, once you’ve killed other pests in your home, it’s best to dispose of them right away in order to avoid another pest problem.

Key Takeaway

There are other signs you can search for when it comes to figuring out indicators of how an ant infestation occurs. Either way, if you wish to avoid problems caused by a vast majority of minute critters, it’s best to take action as soon as possible.