When you want to control ants then you need to understand some basics before you try to do anything. First of all, there are ants that live outside your house and then there are ants that live inside. How you go about controlling these ants will depend on what type you are dealing with. A great way to start with ant pest control is simply to find out where there nest is. Of course, if you know if they are out or indoors this will help the identification. If you try to start spraying any ants you happen to see this will not help much at all because this is only "tip of the iceberg" so to speak. The rest of the colony of ants along with the queen will be hidden. You should therefore find out where the queen ant and her eggs are so that you can destroy the nest and wipe out the population.
If your ants are outside then they will typically enter your home to find food. If you want to prevent this from happening then you need to ensure that all their means of entering your home are sealed off. This means you need to seal any crack and gaps in your walls. You should also use an insecticide to wipe off any chemicals that have been left by the ants.
If you have ants nesting in your home then you will see them all year round. You need to get rid of the nests because what can happen is that ants outside the house will sense their scent and home into your home too. If you leave just a few ants in your home, this can be enough to encourage other ants to set up home too. If you don't know where the nest is then you should follow the worker ants who are out and about collecting food. They will bring the food back to the nest and lead you to it. There are many means of getting rid of the nests such as pesticides and baits.
If you go with the baiting methods basically it means that the worker ants will take the bait back to the nest and the queen ant will eat it along with some other members of the colony. You need to understand that this isn't going to work overnight but within 2 or 3 weeks you should see really good results. Alternatively you can use spray insecticides and pesticides which will kill all the ants including the queen. Even if you think that you have gotten rid of all the ants you should still keep using the treatments outside your home as this will make sure that no other ants decide to take up residency.
Tuesday 25 November 2008
Monday 17 November 2008
Controlling Ant Beds
So you want to know how to control ant beds? Ants are normally useful as they play a big role in many of the natural processes that occur around us. They help in providing air to the soil because they make colonies that are usually composed on many tunnels and holes. They break down organic materials which help in renewing the amount of nutrients in the soil. And they help in controlling the number of other insects making them an important part of any ecosystem.
However, they can also be a pest especially if they are freely moving around in a person’s home. Their beds or mounds can look very unsightly as well as their trails especially if it is in places where it can be easily seen. Also, they can prove to be very irritating especially with the varieties that bite or sting the moment they are disturbed. With them around, you can’t leave any kind of food lying around for they will surely go to it at any moment.
These are the reasons why any homeowner would want to get rid of ants in their home. There have been lots of methods and tips that have been suggested in order to remove their presence in the home once and for all. However, the key here is in controlling ant beds rather than eradicating them. This helps in minimizing their impact on the homeowner’s day to day living while making use of all their useful qualities at the same time.
The first thing that any homeowner can do is to make his or her house and estate as ant – free as possible. This means that the house must not be attractive to any ants nor it will promote their presence. This can be done by making sure that all parts of the property are clean and dry. This is easier said and done especially in the garden where organic material gathers everyday. However, the homeowner can focus on areas where the ants usually go like the kitchen and where they are likely to be seen like the pavement. Also, the homeowner must avoid leaving any possible food for the ant so that they will not find any reason to stay. Covering all food containers and placing uncovered ones in the refrigerator will discourage the appearance of any ant.
If ever they still managed to set foot inside the property, the homeowner can also destroy their trails or remove any possible source of the trail. This is a good way of controlling ant beds as the ants will have no way of knowing where to go. This can result to the ants being confused and wander around which could lead to an unlikely side – effect that they will find another food source and establish another trail. However, this can really help a lot in order to minimize their presence the home.
Lastly, the homeowner can make use of various kinds of low – toxic compounds and fertilizers in controlling ant beds as these are designed to inhibit ants and lower their numbers. They can be placed in areas where the ants usually converge like in the ant beds themselves. Or they can be placed in possible home entrances and passageways. Also, the homeowner can drown the ants in their mounds using boiling water or a soap and water solution.
However, they can also be a pest especially if they are freely moving around in a person’s home. Their beds or mounds can look very unsightly as well as their trails especially if it is in places where it can be easily seen. Also, they can prove to be very irritating especially with the varieties that bite or sting the moment they are disturbed. With them around, you can’t leave any kind of food lying around for they will surely go to it at any moment.
These are the reasons why any homeowner would want to get rid of ants in their home. There have been lots of methods and tips that have been suggested in order to remove their presence in the home once and for all. However, the key here is in controlling ant beds rather than eradicating them. This helps in minimizing their impact on the homeowner’s day to day living while making use of all their useful qualities at the same time.
The first thing that any homeowner can do is to make his or her house and estate as ant – free as possible. This means that the house must not be attractive to any ants nor it will promote their presence. This can be done by making sure that all parts of the property are clean and dry. This is easier said and done especially in the garden where organic material gathers everyday. However, the homeowner can focus on areas where the ants usually go like the kitchen and where they are likely to be seen like the pavement. Also, the homeowner must avoid leaving any possible food for the ant so that they will not find any reason to stay. Covering all food containers and placing uncovered ones in the refrigerator will discourage the appearance of any ant.
If ever they still managed to set foot inside the property, the homeowner can also destroy their trails or remove any possible source of the trail. This is a good way of controlling ant beds as the ants will have no way of knowing where to go. This can result to the ants being confused and wander around which could lead to an unlikely side – effect that they will find another food source and establish another trail. However, this can really help a lot in order to minimize their presence the home.
Lastly, the homeowner can make use of various kinds of low – toxic compounds and fertilizers in controlling ant beds as these are designed to inhibit ants and lower their numbers. They can be placed in areas where the ants usually converge like in the ant beds themselves. Or they can be placed in possible home entrances and passageways. Also, the homeowner can drown the ants in their mounds using boiling water or a soap and water solution.
Sunday 17 August 2008
How to Kill Fire Ants
Fire ants are considered to be one of the most aggressive types of ants, and they bite and sting almost anything and anyone that comes close to their mound. For this reason, many people are waging war against fire ants. There are several ways to eradicate and kill fire ants, but some can be hazardous to the environment, and some are just plain ineffective.
Before launching into an all out war against fire ants, it helps to learn to identify them from other more friendly ants first. Besides, you don’t want to waste your time and resources eradicating normal ants that won’t cause damage compared to fire ants.
How to Identify Fire Ants
Fire ants usually measure somewhere from 1/8 to ¼ inch in length. They are dark black or reddish brown in color, and look just like ordinary ants. You can tell a fire ant from a normal ant based from its behavior. Fire ants are aggressive, and as soon as they can tell that their mounds are disturbed, they will start biting and stinging anything that comes their way. On the other hand, native ants basically ignore animals and human beings, and are non-aggressive. Fire ant nests are also a telltale sign of their identities. They’re usually mound-shaped, and they can go anywhere from 12 inches in height and diameter to up to 2 feet!
Natural Method to Kill Fire Ants
Now that you’re certain that the ants in your backyard are indeed fire ants, it’s time to eradicate these stinging creatures for good. If you don’t want to use pesticides or other chemicals that could harm your environment, then killing fire ants the natural way is one of your options.
Using boiling water is one tried-and-tested method in order to kill fire ants. The best time to use this technique is right after the rain, when the ants are closer to the surface trying to reconstruct their mounds. All you have to do is boil water, make a hole in their mounds to allow for deeper penetration, and pour the boiling water. This is up to 60% effective and will kill several of the ants living in the mound. However, if it doesn’t get to the queen, then you’re merely damaging them, and not totally destroying them. Also, it could harm the condition of your soil, as well as the vegetation surrounding it.
Using Bait Treatment to Kill Fire Ants
Bait treatment is another form of killing fire ants. It’s easy, inexpensive, effective, and safe to use. This takes advantage of the foraging habits of fire ants, and works similarly to granular insecticides. However, instead of simply poisoning the colony like insecticides do, the bait actually damages the reproductive ability of the queen, and in time the queen won’t be able to produce no new ants. When the older ants die of natural causes, there won’t be new ones to replace them, and so your fire ant dilemma is solved for good.
Just buy a bait product on the market, scatter them along the fire ant mound, and leave. The ants will take the bait to their colony and to their queen. Don’t disturb the mound, as your presence could only cause them to leave the bait and flee to make another mound.
Before launching into an all out war against fire ants, it helps to learn to identify them from other more friendly ants first. Besides, you don’t want to waste your time and resources eradicating normal ants that won’t cause damage compared to fire ants.
How to Identify Fire Ants
Fire ants usually measure somewhere from 1/8 to ¼ inch in length. They are dark black or reddish brown in color, and look just like ordinary ants. You can tell a fire ant from a normal ant based from its behavior. Fire ants are aggressive, and as soon as they can tell that their mounds are disturbed, they will start biting and stinging anything that comes their way. On the other hand, native ants basically ignore animals and human beings, and are non-aggressive. Fire ant nests are also a telltale sign of their identities. They’re usually mound-shaped, and they can go anywhere from 12 inches in height and diameter to up to 2 feet!
Natural Method to Kill Fire Ants
Now that you’re certain that the ants in your backyard are indeed fire ants, it’s time to eradicate these stinging creatures for good. If you don’t want to use pesticides or other chemicals that could harm your environment, then killing fire ants the natural way is one of your options.
Using boiling water is one tried-and-tested method in order to kill fire ants. The best time to use this technique is right after the rain, when the ants are closer to the surface trying to reconstruct their mounds. All you have to do is boil water, make a hole in their mounds to allow for deeper penetration, and pour the boiling water. This is up to 60% effective and will kill several of the ants living in the mound. However, if it doesn’t get to the queen, then you’re merely damaging them, and not totally destroying them. Also, it could harm the condition of your soil, as well as the vegetation surrounding it.
Using Bait Treatment to Kill Fire Ants
Bait treatment is another form of killing fire ants. It’s easy, inexpensive, effective, and safe to use. This takes advantage of the foraging habits of fire ants, and works similarly to granular insecticides. However, instead of simply poisoning the colony like insecticides do, the bait actually damages the reproductive ability of the queen, and in time the queen won’t be able to produce no new ants. When the older ants die of natural causes, there won’t be new ones to replace them, and so your fire ant dilemma is solved for good.
Just buy a bait product on the market, scatter them along the fire ant mound, and leave. The ants will take the bait to their colony and to their queen. Don’t disturb the mound, as your presence could only cause them to leave the bait and flee to make another mound.
Thursday 17 July 2008
How Do I Get Rid of Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are one of the natural destructive forces against wood. They destroy wood similar to how termites do, and cause a lot of damage to wood structures. Carpenter ants destroy the wood when they are building or expanding their nest. They do not eat the wood, unlike termites do, and instead eats the honeydew derived from aphids.
Most people believe that by getting rid of the aphids, one can eliminate the problem of carpenter ants. But simply spraying on your yard plants to get rid of the aphids won’t stop the carpenter ants. They can go several hundred yards just to forage for aphids, and ultimately, it won’t solve your problem at all.
Signs to Watch For
Before you decide to get rid of the wood destroyers in your home, it’s best to make sure that what is destroying your wood are indeed carpenter ants. After all, you don’t want to be spraying solutions to kill carpenter ants, when in fact you have a termite problem. Below you can find some signs to watch for.
Frass – This is the “trash” that carpenter ants encounter during their construction, and throw away. This is composed of dead ants, wood shavings, insect wings, etc, and is not to be confused with termite fecal pellets. It is finely shredded, and can be found in piles or caught in spider webs.
Sounds – When you hear crunching or rustling sounds when you put your ear or stethoscope on the wall, then this could be a tell tale sign that carpenter ants are destroying your wood.
Existence of Ants – If you notice several ants in trails all over your house, then an entire colony could be living behind your walls.
Get Rid of Carpenter Ants
Now that you’ve made sure that carpenter ants are indeed invading your wood structures, the next step is to eradicate them completely. There are several solutions available today, and some people go for spraying. However, this is ineffective as it could only kill the worker ants in the surface, and not the queen. If this happens, the queen continues to lay down more eggs to replace the lost worker ants, and you haven’t solved your problem at all. Also, it can be harmful to the environment, and could harm the pets and children in your household.
The most effective way in getting rid of outdoor carpenter ants is using baits. Just apply the bait around the opening of the nest, or anywhere the worker ants can pick them. A tablespoon size should be enough for your initial try. If you notice the bait has been picked up by the ants already, continue to reapply.
For carpenter ants on the inside, getting rid of them might be tough. Put a stethoscope or ear to your wall and spot the place that shows the most scrunching and rustling sounds. Drill a hole to your wall, and apply non-repellent dust products inside. Also dust these products unto wall voids, attics, hollow doors, and electrical and plumbing lines that ants usually use to travel from one place to another. Indoor baiting is also something you can try.
Most people believe that by getting rid of the aphids, one can eliminate the problem of carpenter ants. But simply spraying on your yard plants to get rid of the aphids won’t stop the carpenter ants. They can go several hundred yards just to forage for aphids, and ultimately, it won’t solve your problem at all.
Signs to Watch For
Before you decide to get rid of the wood destroyers in your home, it’s best to make sure that what is destroying your wood are indeed carpenter ants. After all, you don’t want to be spraying solutions to kill carpenter ants, when in fact you have a termite problem. Below you can find some signs to watch for.
Frass – This is the “trash” that carpenter ants encounter during their construction, and throw away. This is composed of dead ants, wood shavings, insect wings, etc, and is not to be confused with termite fecal pellets. It is finely shredded, and can be found in piles or caught in spider webs.
Sounds – When you hear crunching or rustling sounds when you put your ear or stethoscope on the wall, then this could be a tell tale sign that carpenter ants are destroying your wood.
Existence of Ants – If you notice several ants in trails all over your house, then an entire colony could be living behind your walls.
Get Rid of Carpenter Ants
Now that you’ve made sure that carpenter ants are indeed invading your wood structures, the next step is to eradicate them completely. There are several solutions available today, and some people go for spraying. However, this is ineffective as it could only kill the worker ants in the surface, and not the queen. If this happens, the queen continues to lay down more eggs to replace the lost worker ants, and you haven’t solved your problem at all. Also, it can be harmful to the environment, and could harm the pets and children in your household.
The most effective way in getting rid of outdoor carpenter ants is using baits. Just apply the bait around the opening of the nest, or anywhere the worker ants can pick them. A tablespoon size should be enough for your initial try. If you notice the bait has been picked up by the ants already, continue to reapply.
For carpenter ants on the inside, getting rid of them might be tough. Put a stethoscope or ear to your wall and spot the place that shows the most scrunching and rustling sounds. Drill a hole to your wall, and apply non-repellent dust products inside. Also dust these products unto wall voids, attics, hollow doors, and electrical and plumbing lines that ants usually use to travel from one place to another. Indoor baiting is also something you can try.
Tuesday 17 June 2008
Natural Ant Killer
Killing ants is something you may feel you need to do if you have an infestation on your property. However using chemicals might not be something that you like the idea of using. Lots of people prefer to find natural alternatives whenever possible when it comes to ant pest control. Luckily there are options available to you which allow you to get rid of ants but in a more natural way.
For instance, cucumber might be very tasty to us humans but to an ant they are simply disgusting, particularly the peel of cucumber. If you want to deter the ants from entering your home, what you need to do is locate where they are coming in as any tend to use the same path over and over again. All you have to do is place a pile of cucumber peels in this area and it should hopefully be enough to deter the ants from coming back.
Although you don't want to share your home with these ants, it doesn't necessarily mean you want to kill them or use harsh and toxic chemicals which are environmentally unfriendly. There is mounting evidence to show that such chemicals are really bad for both animals and humans.
There are many types of ants that can cause a nuisance of themselves in your home and one of the most dreaded is the fire ant. If you wall rid of them you will need to track down the fire ant queen and kill her. What you need to do is sprinkle instant grits onto the nest just before you know it's going to rain. The workers will think that the grit is suitable food for her but when she eats it the grit will expand in her stomach and kill her. The idea is that with the queen out of the way, the rest of the fire ant colony will die.
Another technique is to use Diatomaceous earth which will kill ants along with other insects. It's basically the fossil remains of single celled creatures called diatoms. They have very sharp surfaces and they cut through the cuticle of the ant causing it to die of dehydration. It's important that you only use this in the area where the ants are because you will also kill other insects you might not want to kill.
Lemon Tea Tree is an essential oil which has natural ant-bacterial properties and also has a very refreshing lemon scent to it. For getting rid of ants, it's very natural, effective and also safe. The oil can be used to create an ant spray which you can make by mixing about 50 drops of lemon tea tree into a spary bottle of about 32 ounces of water. Shake the bottle well and then spray in all the areas that the ants have been using. You should also use it for cleaning your kitchen which will hopefully prevent the ants from entering.
Boric acid is another natural and also cheap method of ant extermination because it's completely deadly to them. You can easily find boric acid in drug stores and it's simply a whit powder that doesn't smell of anything. The reason they are so effective for killing ants is because it causes their nervous system to shut down causing them to dehydrate.
Hopefully these ideas will be enough in preventing ants from taking up residence in your property, whether it's fire ants, carpenter ants or any other type for that matter.. Ants are such as nuisance but there is no need to be cruel about it and use products which can harm the environment and other innocent creatures. A natural ant remedy is very much possible.
For instance, cucumber might be very tasty to us humans but to an ant they are simply disgusting, particularly the peel of cucumber. If you want to deter the ants from entering your home, what you need to do is locate where they are coming in as any tend to use the same path over and over again. All you have to do is place a pile of cucumber peels in this area and it should hopefully be enough to deter the ants from coming back.
Although you don't want to share your home with these ants, it doesn't necessarily mean you want to kill them or use harsh and toxic chemicals which are environmentally unfriendly. There is mounting evidence to show that such chemicals are really bad for both animals and humans.
There are many types of ants that can cause a nuisance of themselves in your home and one of the most dreaded is the fire ant. If you wall rid of them you will need to track down the fire ant queen and kill her. What you need to do is sprinkle instant grits onto the nest just before you know it's going to rain. The workers will think that the grit is suitable food for her but when she eats it the grit will expand in her stomach and kill her. The idea is that with the queen out of the way, the rest of the fire ant colony will die.
Another technique is to use Diatomaceous earth which will kill ants along with other insects. It's basically the fossil remains of single celled creatures called diatoms. They have very sharp surfaces and they cut through the cuticle of the ant causing it to die of dehydration. It's important that you only use this in the area where the ants are because you will also kill other insects you might not want to kill.
Lemon Tea Tree is an essential oil which has natural ant-bacterial properties and also has a very refreshing lemon scent to it. For getting rid of ants, it's very natural, effective and also safe. The oil can be used to create an ant spray which you can make by mixing about 50 drops of lemon tea tree into a spary bottle of about 32 ounces of water. Shake the bottle well and then spray in all the areas that the ants have been using. You should also use it for cleaning your kitchen which will hopefully prevent the ants from entering.
Boric acid is another natural and also cheap method of ant extermination because it's completely deadly to them. You can easily find boric acid in drug stores and it's simply a whit powder that doesn't smell of anything. The reason they are so effective for killing ants is because it causes their nervous system to shut down causing them to dehydrate.
Hopefully these ideas will be enough in preventing ants from taking up residence in your property, whether it's fire ants, carpenter ants or any other type for that matter.. Ants are such as nuisance but there is no need to be cruel about it and use products which can harm the environment and other innocent creatures. A natural ant remedy is very much possible.
Friday 2 May 2008
Exterminators in Georgia
Pest control in Georgia is something that you'll want to look into and there are many companies who will help you get rid of pests, whether it be ants, termites, rodents or cockroaches. You should find a company that really knows what they are doing and are trained to do the job correctly. You might also be able to find a free termite inspection.
It might be that you would like to try exterminating the ants yourself using one of the many products on the market or using some of the more natural and organic products. However some people find that they would rather not deal with killing ants themselves and would prefer to have a professional exterminator in instead. The thought of those horrible little creatures crawling about all over the place is enough to make you sick. Don't bother killing them yourself when you can just call up one of the local exterminators in George.
There are fully licensed and qualified pest exterminators in Georgia so make sure you get one of them and not someone just looking to make a quick buck. Ring around and find a company who will come out and give you a free estimate. They will have a look around your property to assess the situation and find out where the ants are nesting. However it might be that the free consulation is not very thorough in which case spending money could well be a better descision.
Pest exterminators in Georgia should spend a lot of time looking to see what damage has been done and what potential damage can be caused. Many ants, termites and other creatures can cause a lot of damage if you're not careful so such matter should not be taken lightly. If termites are left to their own devices you will find that they can destroy the wood in your home causing major structural problems. This means you need a termite exterminator. These problems can cost a lot of money to fix so dealing with the problem in the first place will cost you money but nowhere near as much as leaving it until it's too late.
It might be that you would like to try exterminating the ants yourself using one of the many products on the market or using some of the more natural and organic products. However some people find that they would rather not deal with killing ants themselves and would prefer to have a professional exterminator in instead. The thought of those horrible little creatures crawling about all over the place is enough to make you sick. Don't bother killing them yourself when you can just call up one of the local exterminators in George.
There are fully licensed and qualified pest exterminators in Georgia so make sure you get one of them and not someone just looking to make a quick buck. Ring around and find a company who will come out and give you a free estimate. They will have a look around your property to assess the situation and find out where the ants are nesting. However it might be that the free consulation is not very thorough in which case spending money could well be a better descision.
Pest exterminators in Georgia should spend a lot of time looking to see what damage has been done and what potential damage can be caused. Many ants, termites and other creatures can cause a lot of damage if you're not careful so such matter should not be taken lightly. If termites are left to their own devices you will find that they can destroy the wood in your home causing major structural problems. This means you need a termite exterminator. These problems can cost a lot of money to fix so dealing with the problem in the first place will cost you money but nowhere near as much as leaving it until it's too late.
Thursday 1 May 2008
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