Killing ants is not hard work, since it’ll only take natural ant deterrent—which also easy to obtain—to get rid of them once and for all.
Can we get to the solution of how to get rid of ants infestation forever? The problem is, how to target them efficiently without causing any more trouble.
Sweets are the highest possible culprit of ant infestation in your house.
Although, I also have the confidence to say that the trees in the yard can make the most comfortable nest of carpenter ants; the ones that will move their kingdom to your home soon enough if you’re not careful.
They’re small and sometimes invisible, but when traveling in groups, ants can cause major nuisance.
To find out what to do best with your ant killer formula, observing their type would be most beneficial since you can define the most effective method.
Here’s how to stop ants from invading your home using the likely simplest and slightest effort.
A. How to Kill Pungent House Ants
1. Find the nest
First things first, you must know where they lay their eggs—meaning, there must be some place for the colony to live.
Look up for trails, since odorous house ants leave marks wherever they travel with a chemical pheromone so the colony can follow the trail.
2. Kill the colony
Pinching one or two ants passing before you is not solving a problem, because the other still can and will show up right in the same place. In this sense, repelling the entire colony is the only option.
3. Rub the trail using soapy water
Once you see the ant troops passing, immediately wipe them out using soapy water.
Soak a sponge in the soapy water and rub them down until you sweep all the ants—deliberately sweep the area a little larger to remove any trail and prevent the others from coming to the exact same area.
4. Create your own homemade ant killer formula
The odorous trail of house ants can leave a stubborn mark or smell that require quite an extensive cleansing. You can make natural homemade ant killer formula using apple vinegar and water.
Mix them in a spray bottle, and spray the solution onto the surface where the trail left. Continue spraying and wiping until you’re sure there’s no pheromone odor left.
5. Use borax as powerful ants deterrent
This method is quite easy since no solution or mixing formula is required. If you have borax or diatomaceous, you must know that they are very powerful to eliminate any sign of ant infestation at home.
Especially borax, which is a kind of detergent; sprinkle it on the troops of ants passing by, then immediately vacuum them. Don’t forget to clean the area using soapy water afterward.
6. Consider leaving a bait trap
Using a commercial bait to repel the ant colony is another good option. Peanut butter or honey are some of the best natural ingredients to use as bait.
Mix 2 tablespoon of them with a half teaspoon of borax and place it on a piece of paper or cardboard. Use it as bait by placing near the nest or presumably the working area of the colony.
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B. How to Kill Carpenter Ants
1. Look for the frass
Unlike the house ants, carpenter ants tend to leave frass wherever they go. If you must know, it’s usually small piles of sawdust or other debris that cannot go unnoticed.
If you don’t have trees outside the house, there’s a high possibility that they build the nest on your walls or floors.
2. Set out a commercial bait to kill the colony
One of the most powerful ant killers is the commercial bait. This method, however, requires a little detective work since you need to find the nest, and observe the foraging time of those tiny friends.
Place the bait near the hole at the time of foraging, and the workers will take the bait onto the mounds. This way, the workers will expose the entire mounds occupants.
3. Boiling water as a homemade ant killer
This one is an instant and brilliant way of killing ants. Boil a gallon of water, puncture the ant hill, and pour the hot liquid over the mound.
Wait for about 5 seconds before you make the second pouring, and repeat it until you reach the third time. Boiling water is about 70% effective to kill the ant colony, and you have to redo the process the next day id necessary.
4. Ant poison using insecticide
Insecticide is another heavy formula to kill carpenter ants, especially when you find the nest in the yard.
Carefully treat the area with mow-lawn before applying the treatment with two alternatives; sprinkle the insecticide on the lawn or add it directly to the mound.
Both serve the same forceful effect to eradicate the ants. Remember that the insecticide is poison, so you better keep the children and pets out of the yard while treating it.
C. How to Stop Ants from Coming Back?
Repelling the ants is useless unless you know how to prevent them from coming back. Using the following materials, you can keep them at a distance and tackle the problem forever.
1. Create a block!
The easiest way to seal their entry point is using adhesive tape. Try to find any crack or crevices, tape them off, and close the hole. If necessary, fix your windows, replace the broken door sweeps, or plaster the walls.
2. Don’t leave the food on the table
There’s no reason for the ants to build a colony inside your house if there’s no reason. Always keep your food inside a container to keep them out.
If required, draw a line using chalk around the container. It is known for the calcium carbonate formula to repel ants and other bugs.
3. Keep everything clean!
This basic household tips will not only keep the ants away, but also keep your sanity in check. Don’t forget to clean the kitchen, wash the dishes, and store everything in place.
Even the slightest food source can attract ants to come, so cleaning after each meal is essential.
There you have our tips on how to repent ants. In some extreme cases, you may also need to hire an exterminator especially when the invasion is getting out of hand.
Make sure you find the professional help to get rid of them once and for all.
