So, how do you get rid of them? What pest control is best for ants? There are a few ways to combat the problem.
There isn’t anyone I can think of that is happy about the idea of ants invading their home. While most are annoying at best, some ants can do real damage.
Aside from keeping your home clean, you can use ant baits indoors and out or spray pesticides outdoors.
This article will go into greater detail about how and why ants invade our space and what we can do about it.
What Causes Ants in the Home?
Ants are one of the most common household pests, both indoors and out. And usually for a few simple reasons. The inside of our homes, especially the kitchen, offers them shelter and food.
Ants are attracted to crumbs or spilled food, including our pet’s food. And all those dark spaces in our walls and floors make the ideal setup for a nice cozy nest.
Is There a Way to Prevent Ants From Entering My Home?
The easiest way to prevent the problem is to take away the very things that attract ants in the first place.
The number one rule is to keep your home clean. Make sure to vacuum up crumbs as soon as you see them. Keep food in tight, sealed containers, wipe down counters and wash your floors.
The other thing you can do is seal up any small cracks in and around your home. Check your foundation regularly for tiny cracks in which ants can enter your home.
Understanding the Ant Colony
To combat your ant problem entirely, it helps to have a little education on how these colonies operate.
In most colonies in the animal kingdom, and with ants, the queen or queens continue to produce more ants to maintain the colony. That is her main goal, and those around her work to fill her needs.
Young worker ants usually stay in the nest to protect the queen and maintain the integrity of the colony. The older workers are the ones you will most likely see in your home. These guys are in charge of roaming around, looking for food to bring back to the colony.
So to truly destroy an infestation of ants, you need to get to the root of the cause. If you only spray the ones you see, others will just come to take their place. Remember, there are millions of ants in any given colony.
By targeting the ants you do not see, the young workers, the queen, and all of her eggs, you are destroying the problem from the start.
So, How Do I End This Problem Once and for All?
There are a few things you can do to combat your ant problem. If possible, you want to identify the trail used by worker ants to move food from your home to their nest.
This makes it easy to fool those workers into bringing poison into the colony instead.
- Indoor Ant Baits
- Outside Pesticide Sprays
- Sanitation
Use Indoor Ant Baits
By using ant baits, you are getting to the root of the problem. You are essentially using those worker ants against themselves by replacing their food with poison ant killer for them to bring back to the nest.
Ants love baits because the material in them is sugary and sweet. But they are also mixed with toxins that are deadly to ants. Most bait food is made up of boric acid, a deal breaker for ants.
Most ant baits come in plastic stations that contain the material used to kill them, usually in the form of granules or liquid.
Ideally, you should place your ant baits where you usually see ant trails so the ants can easily carry the material back to the colony.
It can take days or even weeks to eliminate the colony fully, especially if it is large and has more than one queen.
You should replace each ant bait as soon as it’s emptied to ensure that enough poison is getting to the colony.
Use Outside Pesticide Sprays or Granules
If you believe you have found an outdoor nest that is sending workers into your home, applying a heavy dose of pesticide can help, as it will eventually find its way to the queen.
If you see the nest, saturating it in an insecticide can be effective at destroying the colony.
One word of caution here is that there are many types of garden ants that pose no threat to your home and are beneficial to the environment, so if possible, try to identify the type of ants you are seeing before destroying them.
You can also use outdoor ant bait granules around your home, which work exactly as the indoor ones do.
Sanitation is Key
As mentioned before, keeping things clean is critical for preventing and controlling the infestation of any pest. Ants need shelter, food, and water to survive, so don’t make it easy for them once they leave the colony.
Keep your floors and counters wiped down, seal food and keep things clean. But be sure not to clean directly around the ant baits as you still want the ants to find the material in them desirable.
Once you are certain you have totally eliminated the problem, continue to keep your home as clean as possible, or your ant problem will easily make a comeback.
What Are Some Good Products for Ant Pest Control?
It’s helpful to be armed with some knowledge of what products help combat your ant problem.
I’ve listed some of the top sellers that seem to pack the biggest punch.
- Terro Outdoor Ant Killer Granules
- Amdro Ant Block
- Terro Liquid Ant Killer
- Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer
- Terro Outdoor Ant Killer Spray
Terro Outdoor Ant Killer Granules
Terro Outdoor Ant Killer will destroy the entire colony and is very easy to use. But it is not safe to use around pets.
Once the ants bring the poison granules back to the queen, the entire colony will essentially die.
Terro Outdoor Ant Killer Granules comes in a resealable bag that easily distributes the product around the perimeter of your home.
It is usually good for about a month and may need to be replaced if your problem persists.
You can purchase it through a few different sellers on Amazon, and it goes for about $20 for a 3lb bag.
Amdro Ant Block
Amdro Ant Block packs a significant punch when it comes to eliminating ants. By sprinkling the product around your home in the areas you see trails, you are allowing the workers to bring the poison back to the colony, destroying not only the colony but the queen.
A container of Amdro Ant Block is enough to treat your entire home more than once and usually lasts up to three months.
However, this product is not safe to use around pets.
It goes for about $16 on Amazon.
TERRO T300B Liquid Ant Killer
Terro Liquid Ant Killer attracts and kills all common ants that can infest your home. As the workers discover the bait, they share it with the rest of the colony, unknowingly sealing their fate.
This product works very fast, and you should see a large decrease in ants in just a few days. You can use these throughout your home wherever you see ants, such as counters, corners, or along baseboards and doorways.
Terro Liquid Ant Killer is not safe around pets.
It goes for about $13 on Amazon.
Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer
Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer comes with a wand that makes it easy to kill not only ants, but roaches, fleas, spiders, and ticks.
The product is odor free and won’t stain the pavement and concrete around your home.
Along with killing the ants, it also provides a barrier around your home to prevent reentry from any other colonies. This barrier can last up to 12 months.
Ortho Home Defense can also be used indoors. Allow the product to dry completely before allowing pets or children back into the home.
It goes for about $20 on Amazon.
Terro T1700SR 19 oz Outdoor Ant Killer Spray
Terro Outdoor Ant Killer Spray is an excellent product for killing ants. This product packs an immediate punch against the colony and provides long-term protection. It’s also useful against other pests, such as carpenter bees and boxelder bugs.
The product expands, killing the ants and leaving a residual deposit to kill any future ants or pests. It can be used around foundations, doors, and windows and reaches easily with its powerful nozzle. It works great in the early spring and fall when ants are most active.
It is not safe for use around pets.
It goes for about $20 on Amazon.
Conclusion
As you can see, combating the problem of an ant infestation is fairly easy with these helpful products and the commitment to keeping your home as clean as possible.
Of course, if all else fails, you should reach out to your local pest control company.
Alright, that’s it for this article, here are a few hand-selected articles that you might also find interesting reads:
How to Get Rid of Ants in Brickwork (Complete Guide)11 Simple Ways to Get Rid of Ants Fast
What Kills Ants Easily? 7 Proven Techniques
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