How do I get rid of ants? How to scare them away? Do you know the home remedy for ants? There are many insect control agents - they can be ecological or chemical. In this article we present an overview of ant repellent preparations. We pay attention to their safety and effectiveness in the home and garden.
Ants live in large colonies with up to 50,000 workers. Insects create communities that are subordinate to the queen. They build an anthill, take care of all members of the nest, reproduce and take care of their offspring. In the garden, ants are able to kill harmful insects. So they are needed in cultivation to some extent.If they do not cause us too much damage, it can be tolerated.
Ants can damage parts of buildings because they build nests in them, destroy and contaminate food. In the garden, a colony of these insects creates corridors and builds nests, hence causes the soil to dry out. They also destroy the roots of plants by drilling holes in them. They support aphids that feed on plants. They damage the buds and flowers from which they want to extract nectar, and during drought - they gnaw young shoots on plants. They can create nests in trees, which leads to their destruction.
Ants become active outdoors when the temperature is above 10 degrees Celsius. In summer you can notice that insects seek shelter in homes. Ants with wings can appear on building walls, on garden plants or fly into rooms. Such a time is burdensome but short. This is the mating season for ants. The problem disappears after a few days.
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Ant treatment: home methods
Are there any ways to get rid of unwanted insects at no extra cost? You keep asking yourself the same question: what about ants in the house? We suggest a few suggestions that should be used first.
The way to deal with ants at home is, first of all, to find their nests. It will be the simplest solution, because we will be able to pour boiling water over the insects and their surroundings. To destroy them, we must be sure that we hit the satellite socket. Otherwise, the ants will rebuild and relocate their colony soon.
An ecological ant remedy is ground herbal or black pepper, as well as chopped parsley. Ants do not like their smell, so they can be scattered where there are workers, along the path they travel, or in a nest. If this method for the ants does not work, you can still try to cover the anthill with a pot with dry soil.After a while, the insects will pass to it along with the offspring - then we turn it over and take it outside the garden.
First of all, if we live in a place frequented by ants - special hygiene should be observed. You cannot lure ants into rooms. To eliminate workers it is a good idea to store food in airtight containers and to throw organic waste into external containers. You can also lure ants onto a honey saucer. They clump together and die.
How to scare ants away? Workers do not like the smell of thyme, wormwood, tansy, lavender, mint, tomato leaves, garlic and parsley. It is worth planting them in the garden or terrace. If we can, we can also create a barrier for the ants to overcome. It will be much more difficult for them to get through if we seal the holes around the pipes and seal the cracked walls.
Ant method: baking powder
A way to deal with ants in the kitchen? A simple solution is to use baking powder.It contains baking soda. It is she who causes the death of these insects. After eating baking powder, ants die. We pour it out abundantly in places where workers come. Its use in food cabinets, in which these insects have nested, works well. We avoid using chemicals in these places.
This is a good way to deal with ants that come into living quarters. It can be used when there are children and pets in the house. The use of baking powder will be a safer method of eliminating ants. If it works, you won't have to reach for chemicals.
It is more difficult to sprinkle the powder on the garden area. However, you can try making a solution of baking powder and water. With it, you can spray larger areas of soil.
How to ecologically fight aphids? We advise!
Ant treatment: s alt
The method for ants is also a s alt spray.Alternatively, it can also be poured out in the place where we notice passing insects. A good effect will be to pour boiling water with s alt over the anthill. This method cannot be used in the garden. S alt will burn off the ants and the plants we care for. We can achieve a similar effect by using ash from the fire instead of s alt. It will be safer in the garden.
Ant treatment: cinnamon
The way to treat ants is to use the spice cinnamon. Sprinkling it in the place where the insects appeared will limit their passage. The effect may not come quickly. However, this is a method that will stop the ants from migrating. Cinnamon can also be sprinkled in the vegetable garden. In this way, we will protect the roots of cultivated plants against nibbling.
Cinnamon can be used to make a spraying solution. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon or essential oil must be mixed with a glass of water. With a cotton ball, you can spread such a liquid in the place where ants pass.This procedure, repeated every day, will eliminate unwanted insects.
Ant treatment: ant vinegar
The pungent smell of vinegar scares off ants. Its solutions are used to combat insects. Pour the same amount of water and vinegar into a spray bottle. You can add a little lemon juice to this. The solution must be shaken before each use. We use it to spray places where ants have been seen. The action is repeated until the unwanted insects are eliminated.
What are eco-friendly ways to get rid of ants?
Ants are useful insects and it is worth remembering about them before we decide to fight them in our garden. As long as they are not directly burdensome to us and do not damage the crops, radical steps are not necessary. However, if the decision has already been made, the method of combating them should be carefully selected taking into account the role and function of the garden, its accessibility to children and the proximity of drinking water intakes or stocked reservoirs.The first step may be less invasive, ecological combat methods. The easiest way is to plant deterrent plants. Peppermint, common thyme, garden marjoram or narrow-leaved lavender will discourage ants from staying in our garden, and will also serve as aromatic herbs in the kitchen. If this does not help, self-prepared, ecological biopreparations will be more effective. For fighting ants, it is especially recommended to use wormwood slurry and tansy extract.
- says Dr. Eng. Tomasz Mróz
Ant treatment: preparations
A way to deal with ants, when all home solutions have failed, is to use a chemical preparation. To combat insects, you need to use granules, aerosols, liquid agents or food poison.
The ant spray will destroy workers that stay in motion because they have left their nest.This solution will reduce the number of pests. It works quickly and directly. When the ants are few, it has the effect of completely destroying them. Aerosolized agents are also used to spray the surfaces around crevices, wall cracks, and ant penetration holes. We spray around the edges of windows and doors, cables and floor strips.
If we have a nest near the house, the spray will not help. Then you can use granules or food poison with an insecticidal effect. The ants will spread it around the nest and feed it to the queen that lays eggs. The larvae after eating such drugs become sterile. The poison is placed where the workers walk. Chemical preparations can be harmful to ants, but also to other insects, also useful on the farm.
Chemical agents based on borax or boric acid are also used to combat ants. The ants have not developed resistance to these substances. You can make the poison yourself, using 1 gram of borax, 18 grams of water and 7 grams of sugar.
