Ants are both pests, but also allies of the ecosystem. Their underground corridors loosen the soil and spread seeds. Unfortunately, in the garden they can be responsible for damaging roots and destroying many plants. Additionally, ants, or more specifically anthills, can destroy lawns. It is also worth mentioning that ants live in symbiosis with other pests, i.e. aphids. The ants feed on the honeydew produced and protect it from predator attacks.
Remember these proportions. The perfect mixture that will remove ants from your garden
Two types of traps are most commonly used to remove ants from the garden. The first are physical barriers that cut off ant access. This method is most often used when you want to prevent ants from accessing flower beds and flower beds. Crushed egg shells, coffee grounds and wood ash will work well to prepare a physical ant barrier.
Another way to get rid of ants is . They work on the principle of destroying underground corridors. These types of methods for killing ants include pouring boiling water into the anthill, as well as mixtures based on vinegar or baking soda. Czech gardeners have their own method, which is very effective. This is an extremely strong scent combination that ants do not like. According to the website deccoria.pl, preparing Czech ant spray is very simple. Mix 10 drops of tea tree oil, 15 drops of peppermint oil, 3 drops of orange oil, 50 ml of water and 50 ml of vodka. Then pour everything into a spray bottle and spray generously all the places where ants appear. This method works both in the garden on paths and anthills, and at home on window sills and gaps in windows and doors.
Where do ants come from in the house? It attracts them like a magnet
Before we reach for any measures, it is worth understanding why ants decide to visit our corners at all. The main reason is the search for food. These small insects are attracted primarily by food leftovers, especially products rich in sugar and protein. Crumbs on the counter, spilled sugar, unprotected pet food or even sticky juice stains are a real treat for them. Ants get inside through the smallest leaks – cracks in foundations, gaps around pipes or simply open windows.
When a single scout ant finds an attractive food source in your home, it leaves a scent trail (pheromones) behind. It acts as a highway for the rest of the colony, which can appear in the kitchen or pantry in a short time. What’s worse, some species, such as the popular pharaoh ants, can build a nest directly in the building, choosing warm, humid and hard-to-reach places, for example in wall cracks or under the floor.
How to prevent ant invasion? Prevention is key
The most effective method of fighting ants is to prevent them from appearing. The key is to keep things clean, especially in the kitchen. You should regularly clean up crumbs, wipe up spills and make sure there are no food leftovers on the floor or in nooks and crannies. Store food, especially sweet food, in tightly closed, airtight containers. The same applies to pet food – after feeding, it is worth washing the bowls and cleaning up any spilled granules.
The second pillar of prevention is to cut off the ants’ path to the interior. Carefully inspect the building from the outside and seal any potential entrances – cracks in the walls, gaps around windows, doors and installations. Taking out the trash regularly and placing the bins some distance from your home will also significantly reduce the risk of ants taking an interest in your home as a potential dining room.
When home remedies fail, it’s time to seek help from a specialist
Although home methods can be effective when the number of insects is small, there are situations when the problem escalates and the ants return despite our efforts. If you are dealing with a persistent invasion and the colony has managed to nest in the building structure for good, ad hoc measures may turn out to be insufficient. Killing individual workers will not solve the problem because the heart of the colony is the queen, which constantly lays new eggs.
In such a case, it is worth considering using the services of a professional pest control company. Specialists have long-acting agents that are not available for general sale. The most effective and safest method is often gelation. It involves applying a special gel-bait on the paths of ants. The workers take the poisoned food back to the nest and share it with the rest of the colony, including the queen. Thanks to this, within a few weeks the entire anthill is eliminated from the inside. Other professional methods include precise spraying using microcapsules or ULV fogging, which allows you to reach the most difficult to reach places.
