Ant control at home is important. While ants are not as harmful as other pests such as rats cockroaches and termites they do bite destroy wood and are unpleasant to have in the house. Eliminating ants from the home is often simple but this is not always the case and hiring a professional to do the job may be called for in some instances.
First of all it is important to prevent ants from entering. One should look for small holes and cracks and seal these. Cleaning up food spills right away and emptying the kitchen trash regularly are also important preventative measures. Ants are attracted by food that is left lying out. If there is no food then the ants will go elsewhere.
Pet owners should be aware that ants are also attracted by pet food. Open bags of dog or cat food should be placed in a sealed plastic container. A bowl with pet food in it should be placed on a plate which is then filled with water. This will prevent ants from getting at the dog or cat food.
Removing ants from the house is not difficult as ants are relatively slow insects. Ants on the walls should be swept onto the floor. Spread cornstarch on the floor and then vacuum this up together with any ants that may be around. The cornstarch suffocates the ants in the vacuum cleaner preventing them from crawling out once the machine is turned off. If the ants are on a potted plant take the plant outside and flood it with water.
Once one has cleared out any ants in sight he or she should scrub the affected areas with a citrus based detergent. The home entrance door way and any porch doorways should also be cleaned with this detergent on a regular basis. The detergent will eliminate pheramone a chemical naturally secreted by ants and used to mark the trail from their colony to their food source.
Insecticides
Insecticides can be effective but it is important to purchase the right ones. Insecticides which immediately kill ants are unhelpful because the ants that are still alive go on reproducing. Any bait or insecticide used should be slow acting. That way the ants will pass the poison on to others before dying. It is also important to make sure the insecticide used is not poisonous for any small children or pets in the house.
Professional Help
There are times when getting professional help is in order. A person who has tried the above mentioned ant control methods to no avail most likely has one or more resident ant colonies in the house. Such colonies are very hard to find without professional help. It is important for the whole colony to be killed or its remaining members will repopulate the colony and continue living in the house. A person who needs professional assistance should contact a local pest control agency as soon as possible.
Getting rid of ants can be difficult but it is not impossible. Ant prevention is the first step in ant control. While professional help may be needed in most cases good cleanliness habits will effectively eliminate ants from the home.
Tags: ant control, insecticides, pest control, pest problems, pests