Here in Australia, we have many different species of ants, so we’re used to seeing them in our homes and gardens. But while the odd ant (or three) in your sugar bowl is a nuisance, large amounts of ants trailing in and out of your home is a more serious problem if left untreated, here’s why.
Read on to discover how to prevent ants from invading your home, and natural remedies to keep them at bay. For a more complete pest-control solutions, visit Cure-All’s Ant Control page.
Problem Ants
Ants are tiny scavengers when it comes to food. They’re not fussy eaters and are attracted to all sorts of products, especially those containing fats, oils and sugar. During dry spells ants also tend to come inside home searching for water.
If you don’t wipe down your bench to get rid of excess water or crumbs, leave sugar bowls open or clear leftover food, then you’re providing a ready food and water source for them. Once the signal goes out to the rest of the gang, then ant colonies can expand rapidly.
How this happens is that ants leave a chemical trail which enables fellow workers to find the food source and transport it back to the nest. This can mean one or two ants can turn into large numbers in a short amount of time. As well as leaving a signal for other ants, chemical trails leading into your home can also encourage other insects such as cockroaches and spiders to join in on the party.
Ants can be difficult to control once they get a foothold in your home. They build nests in walls, foundations or sometimes cavities in toilets and sinks, and can actually cause damage and staining to carpets, curtains and rugs. Some species have even been known to attack electrical wiring. Ants can also move nest sites periodically which can make finding them difficult. Outdoor nesting activity can be equally problematic as nests undermine concrete, brickwork and paved areas and cause sections of lawn to collapse.
Most ants don’t cause health problems either but several Australian species can deliver a nasty sting, such as Fire Ants or Bull Ants, and require medical attention. You don’t want these ants building nests in your property.
Prevention of Ants
Luckily there are lots of ways you can discourage ants from entering your home and taking over your kitchen. In general, if you practice good housekeeping ants won’t find anything to eat so:
- Sweep & vacuum the kitchen daily,
- Wash dirty dishes,
- Empty rubbish bins daily,
- Put leftovers in the fridge,
- Keep honey, jam, sauce bottles clean,
- Keep sugar containers sealed,
- Store loose food items in sealed containers.
Natural Ant Remedies
For a mild ant problem you can deal with them naturally without resorting to chemicals. Rather than killing the ants many of these act as a deterrent from coming into your home or kitchen.
1. Pure lemon juice
Spray around door and window openings with undiluted lemon juice. The acid in the juice stops ants from using their scent trails.
2. Cinnamon
Spray either cinnamon essential oil around the doors, floors, windowsills or dip a cottonbud in it and draw borders, ants won’t cross them. Ground cinnamon works as well to stop ants entering.
3. Vinegar
Wipe down your countertops with a mixture of vinegar and water and spray it around entry points (ants hate the smell).
4. Borax
Make a soupy mixture of borax, water and sugar and put into plastic container with a lid. Poke holes for the ants to enter. Ants that eat it immediately will be killed, the worker ants take it back to the nest and other ants ingest it. Best not to use this one if you have small children.
5. Soap & Water
Spraying any ants you can see with a mixture of soapy water will kill them.
6. Coffee Grounds
Ants don’t like the smell of coffee, so put it in any cracks you see outside your home. This doesn’t kill them but they will hopefully up sticks and move.
7. Bay leaves
Bay leaves are detested by ants, so pop one in your dry goods containers such as flour, sugar, rice etc. You can even tape them inside cupboards and shelves.
8. Garlic
Set out a dish of crushed garlic cloves, which has a strong odour that ants don’t like.
9. Boiling water
Follow the ant trail to see where they’re heading back to and pour a kettle of boiling water into the nest. It’s simple, effective and many people swear by it.
However, if none of the above have worked then you have a larger ant problem that needs a professional ant treatment plan.
Cure All provides a wide range of safe treatment methods; we can also monitor and apply follow up treatment if required. Get in touch with Cure All today by filling out our online form or book an on-site quote on 07 3349 8572.
