Ants: Getting Rid of Preventing Infestation

As I was preparing my morning coffee, I noticed a little ant scurrying around my countertop exploring the Formica landscape. Fortunately, this was one lonely scout and not an invading horde, but since ants live in colonies, where there is one there are more somewhere.

Ants are the most common household pests and they come in many sizes and varieties. They can be found everywhere and they eat just about anything. Scouts search for food and report back to the colony about any source of food that is found, and then come back with the army. What does one do to keep from becoming infested?

I did a little investigating and was surprised to discover that one may successfully deal with ant problems with many things that can be found right at home. I prefer the organic approach, so I will be discussing what works best without resorting to pesticides, however, it should be noted that many household supplies do contain chemicals and even something completely natural can be poisonous to pets and even humans.

Start with prevention and then move on to battle tactics if necessary. First rule of thumb; keep your kitchen clean. Ants are attracted to sweet, sticky items, so keeping kitchen counters and floors clean is essential. Keep food stuffs sealed and/or in the refrigerator. Wipe up spills immediately. Kitchen garbage cans get dirty quickly, so keep yours clean. Don’t be afraid to take it outside and hose it down occasionally. Follow up with hot, soapy water.

Sometimes prevention is not enough. Once the army has been spotted, follow the trails to find out where they are coming from. Boric acid, borax powder, or sublime sulphur can be sprinkled along the trails. Boric acid can be toxic, so keep kids and pets away. Boiling hot water can be poured over the source (the mound). Some have even poured bottles of Coke down the hole! The next step is containment – keep them out of the house! Once you have found out where they are gaining entrance, seal up the cracks and holes, and make thresholds impenetrable. It seems that there are certain lines that ants won’t cross. These lines may be drawn with petroleum jelly, baby powder, chalk, crayon, detergent, Ajax, cinnamon, or even coffee grounds and Bounce fabric sheets. Also, be on the lookout for bridges ants can use to reach your living space such as tree limbs. Trim as necessary.

There are many food items that may be found in your cabinets that will prove useful in your war against the ants: white pepper, bay leaves, cloves, and rhubarb leaves, to name just a few. Ants don’t like the smell. Some people even swear that oatmeal and instant grits works well. The ants eat the oatmeal, get thirsty, and then explode. Yikes!

To deal with a lot of ants quickly and safely, use simple household cleaners such as Simple Green, 409, Fantastic, Lysol, or Windex. Combine dish soap or vinegar with water to make a spray bottle weapon. Spray on ants and wipe them up. Even Clorox spray, hair spray, and air freshener can be used. Vacuums work great as well. Suck up ant trails along with a little cornstarch using the hose attachment.

Some techniques for ant disposal work better for some than others. It often depends on the type of ant you are dealing with and environmental factors. As a last resort, ant baits or poisons can be used or an exterminator can be called upon. Ant baits are effective because they carry the poison back to the nest and the queen. They are called baits because something in the mix must be sweet to get them to take the bait.

Remember, total annihilation is not necessarily your goal. With the possible exception of the fire ant, which stings, ants are beneficial to humans. Our six legged friends protect plants from pests, carry off debris, and their tunneling habits are good for the soil. You don’t have to be an entomologist to learn from the ant.

“Take a lesson from the ants, you lazy fellow. Learn from their ways and be wise! For though they have no king to make them work, yet they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter (Proverbs 6:6-11, TLB).

Resources

http://www.ehow.com/tips_3791_4.html

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/heloise/pests/get-rid-ant-feb02

http://www.telerad.com.ph/household-pests/ants-pest-control.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_117219_stop-ant-invasion.html

http://www.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-ants.htm

http://www.pestcontrolarticles.com/Ants—The-Most-Common-Household-Pests.php

http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/sci/A0856630.html