Effective Ant Control
For homeowners, ant invasions are almost as scary as alien invasions. Well, you cannot really blame them. After all, ants are more likely to be found inside your house than a troop of aliens riding on UFOs!
The question now is, how do you stop these tiny insects? The good news is that effective ant control in your Dublin home is possible with just a few tips.
Identify the Ant Species in Your Home First
Even though there are about 20 species of ants found in Dublin and all over Ireland, ant problems are common indoors as well as around homes and buildings. Some of the common ants include in Dublin:
- Black garden ants
- Common red ants or also known as European fire ants that deliver painful stings
- Pharaoh ants
- Roger’s ants
In order to achieve effective ant control of an infestation, you should start first by identifying the specific ant species that have infested your property. This is because successful strategies for ant treatment can vary from one species to another.
For example, the use of insecticides on pharaoh ants will only end up spreading their nests and making things worse than before.
Know What Attracts Ants to Your Dublin Home
One of the main reasons why ants grow in number is because they live almost anywhere and feed on virtually anything. Effective ant control in a house can only be obtained if you figure out what attracts them in the first place, before it leads to a serious ant infestation.
Below are the three common things that attract ants to homes are the following:
Food
Ants feed on almost anything that people eat. Although they will consume any crumbs or leftover food scraps, these insects find sweets especially attractive.
A small drop of honey, a discarded lollipop, and a residue of sticky jam forgotten on the counter are all ideal sources of nutrient for ants. Once a single lone ant discovers this sweet source, it will leave behind a trail of scent that will attract other ants from the colony.
This will then lead to a massive serious infestation before you even know it.
Moisture
Ants will never survive without water and food. However, what makes them different from most animals is that these insects don’t only drink when they need it. They also take back the water to the colony in order to store this for their future consumption.
Once ants find a good source of water, they will leave the scent trail for alerting other members of the colony. This is why potted plants, pet’s water bowls, broken pipes, and accumulated condensation in the bathroom can attract all nearby ants.
Shelter
Even if ants may be tiny enough that it is easy for them to look for shelter almost anywhere, these insects like building a colony inside a cosy and warm home when they can.
The moment they find an ideal access point to your house, like a crack in the caulk or weather-stripping, they will be more than happy to invite themselves inside.
Natural Ways to Get Rid of Ants in House
So, you have finally determined and accepted that there is an ant infestation in your Dublin home. What is the next step you should take for effective ant control?
It is now time for you to try a few helpful natural home remedies to say goodbye to ants:
Borax or Baking Soda
Baking soda and ants never mix well. The truth is that borax and baking soda can both achieve effective ant control by killing them once ingested.
To get the best results, you need to mix equal parts of borax for ants or baking soda and confectioner’s sugar. Put this in a shallow container that ants can easily reach.
While this home remedy is easy and effective, you have to be careful when using it since it can also attract your pets or kids. Keep it out of their reach because it could be very toxic for them.
Detergents
Liquid detergents, hand soaps, and other household detergents can also prevent ants from getting inside your house and help achieve a more effective ant control.
Just so you know, these insects have poor eyesight so they only rely on those scented trails of pheromones they leave behind when navigating and exploring the world.
The good news is that household detergent can eliminate these trails and keep out the ants. To get the best results, you can mix water with detergent and use soapy water to scrub surfaces. Store-bought glass cleaners can also be used similarly.
This is a non-toxic, safe, and easy remedy for effective ant control. However, it needs manual application and you might need to reapply it on a regular basis.
Silicon Dioxide or Diatomaceous Earth
DE or diatomaceous earth is a kind of silica dust that is made from fossilized and pulverized remains of the ancient aquatic organisms known as diatoms. Diatomaceous earth is not poisonous. This kills ants as well as other pests by pulling oil from the skeletons and then drying these out.
To use DE to kill ants, you just have to sprinkle the powder in places where you see ants moving through or entering your house. DE is natural, effective, and safe for both humans and animals.
The only downside is that this can be a bit messy and reapplication may be necessary. Your pets may also track the dust all over your house. DE may also irritate the skin and respiratory system.
Pepper
As mentioned above, ants navigate the world through their sense of smell and for them, the scent of pepper is irritating. To stop them from entering your house and get effective ant control, you can sprinkle pepper behind appliances and around the baseboards.
This is a safe and cheap method although you might need to regularly reapply it. It can also be messy and may irritate children and pets.
Tea Tree, Lemon, or Peppermint Oil
Eucalyptus, tea tree, lemon, and peppermint oil can all be used as natural ant repellents you can use to keep these insects out of your home.
To ensure the best results, add some drops of essential oil to two cups of water. You can spray the mixture around doors, windows, and baseboards of your home.
It is a method safe for kids that is also affordable and easy to use. However, it might irritate your pets, particularly cats.
White Vinegar
Once you notice ants around your house, mix a solution of 50-50 water and vinegar and use it to wipe up ants.
It can kill existing ants and repel future ants by leaving behind the vinegar’s lingering scent that works as a natural repellent and helps towards effective ant control.
This is effective, affordable, and easy although it may be unsafe for some surfaces and may leave behind a vinegar smell that not everyone may like.
Conventional Methods to Eliminate Ants in Your Dublin Home
Below are five common methods you can try if you prefer more conventional ways of getting rid of ants:
Ant Baits
An ant bait is a small covered pod that you put in places that ants frequent. There is concealed poison inside these pods that the ants can access and bring back to their colony.
Ant baits can kill the ants in the colony once they consume these.
But, while ant baits are affordable and effective, these can be harmful for pets and children and require regular replacement and checking.
Ant Spray
There are ant sprays available for outdoor and indoor use, such as Protector C in Ireland. These can kill ants on contact and provide effective ant control in no time. Ant sprays are fast-acting and last longer.
But since these sprays eventually wear off they don’t serve as permanent solutions.
Ant Traps
Ant traps are similar to ant baits and the only difference is that these trap ants and don’t let them leave. Poison is present in ant traps that can kill ants immediately.
These traps are effective and affordable but you need to check them on a regular basis and get rid of the dead ants manually.
How to Eliminate Ants Outside Your House
Now that you know how to achieve effective ant control inside your home, you might be curious to know how to eliminate those in your garden without compromising your plants. Below are some tips you can follow:
Ant Granules
These ant granules function similar to deconstructed bait stations. You need to place these granules around the exteriors of your home where ants can eat them and cause their death on contact.
Barrier Sprays
You can apply outdoor barrier sprays along your home’s foundation line. These sprays can kill these insects on contact and serve as long-acting prevention and effective ant control.
Boiling Water
An effective and easy way to effectively and immediately kill ants is the use of boiling water. Once you notice some ants scurrying from a hole in the ground or a crack in the concrete, you can pour boiling water on that area to kill the ants inside.
Just ensure that you don’t pour boiling water on plants and plant roots since it will kill them.
If these tricks are not enough, don’t worry because you can always get the help of a professional ant control service.
