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.
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