From: Bugz Pest Control Services, Sydney.
Ants are probably the most annoying unwanted guests in a household. At times it seems like no matter what you do; when the weather gets warm the ants come marching. While ants can be annoying and you do not want them in your home, most are harmless, just pesky. There are several types of ants that may invade your home.
House Invading Ants
There are several types of ants that may invade a home. Here is a list of the types of ants that you may find in your home.
Odorous House Ant
These ants will emit a foul smell when their nest is being threatened. For the most part the odorous house ant will stick to the outdoors. However, when they come into the home it is often to look for sweets.
Citronella Ants
These ants have a lemony smell and typically tend to aphids. They will invade the home, but typically will not invade food items or damage any structures. There is not a lot known about this type of ant, including whether or not they eat anything but aphids.
Carpenter Ants
This type of ant is one that you need to be on the lookout for. While the carpenter ant will not eat the wood the way a termite would, they do create nests and tunnels in the structural timber of the home. They prefer would that is moist, so if you have had any type of flood or leak in your home, watch out for them.
Thief Ants
This type of ant is also referred to as a grease ant. They like to eat foods that are high in protein like fats, grease, and meats. This type of ant is extremely tiny and will invade a home in search of food. Getting rid of them can be hard as they are so tiny they can squeeze in from places that you may never notice.
Crazy Ants
While most species of ants tend to move in an orderly fashion, crazy ants go all over the place with no real purpose. If these types of ants make their way into your home they can be difficult to get rid of. They prefer to climb into the cooling vents of electric equipment, which can damage appliances and computers.
Pharaoh Ants
This type of ant is quite pervasive and extremely hard to control. The pharaoh ant will eat almost anything, which means that they are attracted to anything so prevention is somewhat difficult. While the species originates from Africa, they are now found all around the world.
Natural Ant Remedies
When it comes to getting rid of an ant infestation, it can prove to be a bit difficult. These little pests are quite persistent and just when you think that you have gotten rid of them, you see more appear. Almost every species of ant that has been mentioned will respond to one of these natural remedies listed below. If you are still seeing ants after trying these methods it may be time to call in a professional for help.
Vinegar
Mix together equal parts of vinegar and water and put in a spray bottle. Wipe down any areas that you have seen ants in. Make sure that you wipe down your cupboards, countertops, and all of your baseboards. This wipe down should be continued throughout the day so that it remains effective.
Ants hate the way vinegar smells, which is one of the reasons this remedy works. Another reason that it works is because by wiping down the areas you are removing all of the scent trails that the ants have left behind to use as a way to get around.
Baby Powder/ Chalk
Take some baby powder or some chalk and draw a line with it where you are seeing the ants enter your home.
Talcum powder, which is used in both baby powder and chalk, offers a natural ant repellent. They will not cross the line of chalk or powder.
Borax
Mix together equal parts of borax with some type of sweet, such as jelly or syrup. Put the concoction in an area where the ants will find it.
When the ants eat this mixture it will damage their outer skeletons as well as their digestive system, ultimately resulting in their death.
Herbs
There are several herbs and spices that will help repel ants. These include:
• Mint
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Garlic
• Cayenne pepper
• Black pepper
• Chili pepper
• Bay leaves
Simply place one of these herbs or spices around the foundation of your home as a way to deter ants from entering. You can also create sachets of these herbs and place them in your cabinets and drawers.
Coffee Grounds
Sprinkling coffee grounds around the outside of your house and in your garden is another natural way to get rid of ants. It works as a natural ant repellent because the ants do not like the scent of the coffee grounds.
Citrus Peels/Cucumber
Leave citrus or cucumber peels in areas of known ant activity. These peels are toxic to some of the kinds of fungi that many ants feed on. For this reason, the ants will avoid going near the peels.
Call in a Professional
All of the above methods will often work to get rid of ants from your home. However, some ants can be quite persistent and when this occurs it might be time to call in a professional for help. A professional service will be able to use natural or other remedies to help get rid of the ants that have taken over your home. Unfortunately, using a professional is often the only choice that you are left with after trying to get rid of an ant infestation by yourself.
If you are having any type of pest problem, visit Bugz Pest Control at http://www.bugzpestcontrolsydney.com.au/ for answers to all of your questions.
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