How to get rid of ants permanently and take care of an ant infestation?

[ecis2016.org] Mentioned in this article is how you can rid of ants permanently.

Pests, in general, can cause a lot of nuisance and damage in homes and ants are a prime example of that. Ant infestation is quite common and generally happens massively, and the most striking part is that ant infestation is not limited to particular geographical territories! Ants can invade your home for any reason, and if this is left unchecked, it can become a problem of an intolerable magnitude!

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How to get rid of ants permanently from your homes – essential questions to ask 

A large colony of ants can be very unhygienic for our homes, and not to mention, some of them can sting as well. They could cause a lot of damage to furniture, especially wooden ones.

That is why you should take immediate action whenever you notice the presence of ants in your homes. Apart from these, doesn’t it feel visually repulsive spotting a long line of ants around your pantry or burrowing into the freshly-potted plant in your balcony?

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“How to get rid of ants permanently?” is a question you will find across the internet. It might also perturb you at times – how to get rid of ants permanently from my premises?

There are many ways to get rid of an ant infestation in your home. However, it is easier said than done. Also, since prevention is better than cure, it is always better to spot ant colonies and ant activities before that multiplies into a massive problem and leads to a devastating infestation!

If you see red ants in the house, you can employ powerful chemicals to flush them out or even take the help of home remedies to deal with the ant infestation. If the level of infestation is exceptionally high, it is always recommended to take professional service. 

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Why are ants considered pests?

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Although certain ants are harmless, certain species of ants can be considered pests. Here’s a detailed overview of why ants are considered pests.

The impact of ants on health and hygiene

Ants have known germs – viruses, bacteria, harmful microbes and you would often find them near filthy sources rummaging for food. Ants pick up those disease-causing microbes and can spread those obnoxious organisms in our food.

Since they move in abundance, they can contaminate our food more effectively than any other type of insects whenever they come in contact with unprotected or uncovered food lying in our homes. Having a large colony of red ants in house can be a breeding ground for diseases like e.coli, salmonella, shigella, streptococcus, etc. 

Destruction of property

Besides messing up your home’s hygiene, ants can also cause considerable property damage. 

• One reason is the carpenter ants. These ants are one of the largest species of ants worldwide, and just like termites, they can cause immeasurable damage to wooden structures in your home. The signs of their infestation can be subtle and difficult to notice at first. But suppose measures are not taken to deal with that. In that case, they can devour the wooden structures like furniture from within, consume the wood pulp, and demolish them by making them papery and stripping them of their rigidity and resilience. 

• Ants are always looking for creating colonies and nests near sources of water, food, and warmth. And what better than by making holes and burrows inside your walls, furniture, and even digging up your garden to create mounds of the earth!

Undoing all these impacts will require a lot of expertise and financial assistance.

Visually unattractive and creates a nuisance

Ants are visually unattractive and they can create a lot of nuisance with their sheer number. If you spot one ant in your home, there is a high chance of a colony living nearby. Even before you know it, ants might have formed colonies inside your attic, your garden compound, or within your house! Spotting a line of ants scampering over your floorboards can turn you off! They can get almost anywhere due to their small size, and some of them can have painful stings as well. Having red ants in the house can be a terrible sign, and if you have any, you need to immediately start thinking of how to get rid of ants permanently. 

How to get rid of ants permanently and prevent further infestations? 

Here are some significant ways to get rid of different species of ants from your home. Most of them are pretty simple yet effective.

How to get rid of black ants?

Black ants are one of the most common ants, often found in gardens. They can live for almost 15 years and deliver excruciatingly painful stings due to the high content of formic acid in their mouths. Here are some typical remedies that you can try to get rid of black ants from your home.

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• Make sure not to leave any food crumbs or sugary snacks outside. Ants are always searching for potent food sources, and they can reach most places for food. One way is to keep it thoroughly clean, especially in your pantry, kitchen, food storage sections, utensils, and dining tables. Ensure that the jars’ lid where you store food is closed tightly, and opt for airtight containers to ensure additional safety. 

• Remember not to leave any damp spots in your home, especially in the summer. Ants often gravitate towards cool and moist areas, including your sweaty clothes, to get away from the summer stench. So, if you have humidity and temperature control in your home covered, you won’t have to worry about how to get rid of ants permanently. 

• The scent of any area plays a significant role in ant infestation. Certain smells highly repel them, so if you can spray some strong-smelling substances, like eucalyptus or peppermint, you are already one step ahead of the ants.

• It would help if you also looked for the entry point of these ants. They generally creep inside our homes through holes in the doors or cracks in our walls. By following their trail, you can identify their entry points and reach the anthill. If you are worried about getting rid of ants permanently, make sure to destroy the anthill by poking holes in it and pouring boiling water or mild acid. It will be enough to exterminate the black ant infestation on your property finally! 

How to eliminate red ants?

Red ants, too, can be a significant nuisance. So, here are particular tactics to get rid of red ants in the house as soon as you realise there is an infestation.

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• The vinegar and water mixture works excellent when exterminating red ants for good. If you have red ants in the house, mix vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio and spray it over all the possible entry points. If you see any red ants in the house, you can spray the mixture directly. This method also works effectively for destroying anthills occupied by red ants!

• Another unique fact about these ants is that they are choked by cinnamon. You can opt to sprinkle the cinnamon directly on them or even spray cinnamon oil and water on the anthill to prevent red ants in the house. If you have recognised the major entry points for these critters, spraying the cinnamon oil and water concoction works wonders by destroying probable entry points. 

• The above trick is similarly effective with black pepper powder readily available in the market.

• One of the most popular tricks here is making a lemon and water mixture in a 3:1 ratio and using it just as the vinegar and water mixture. Vinegar is not always available, which is why you can go for lemons. Spray that on the ants, their entry points, and the anthills whenever you spot red ants in the house. 

• Mint is one of the scents that ants hate. If you see red ants in the house, you can spray mint oil or get mint extract and spray it on all the entry points and the corners of your home. As this smell repels ants immensely, it can help you effectively get rid of them. 

How to eliminate carpenter ants?

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Carpenter ants are known to destroy wood and furniture and therefore lead to a massive financial breakdown. However, the following simple measures can be of value.

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• The first thing to do here is to find wood damage in the house to bait these carpenter ants and reach their anthill. Then wait and set up bait. 

• Carpenter ants, just like other ants, are drawn to sugary foods. So, one of the best ways to pull them out of their hiding spots is by leaving sugary crumbs at suspected places and waiting to see if it works or not. You can also mix baking soda and sugar in a 1:1 mixture, as the carpenter ants will be drawn to the sugar but will die consuming the baking soda. 

• Another great way to deal with the hitch of how to get rid of ants permanently is by pouring boric acid in places you think these ants have infested – mostly mouldy, damp, and wooden furniture are their favourite spots. Make sure to check your attic if it hasn’t been cleaned in quite a while and houses moist, discarded furniture.

• You can also clean your house with soap and water to get rid of the trail of pheromones left by carpenter ants to find food. You can also use strong-smelling essential oils, water, and vinegar mixture to get rid of the pheromones completely. 

• Dealing with carpenter ants can be trickier than other ant species, so you should call a professional ant exterminator to help you if the infestation has gone out of hand and you are already emptying your coffers, paying for the damages.

How to exterminate ants that love sugar and sweets?

If you are wondering how to permanently get rid of ants lured by sugar and sweets, employ the following hacks.

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• One of the best ways to get rid of ants that love sugary items is to keep the house thoroughly cleaned. Use a soap and water mixture to clean your home, and use vital essential oils to keep the scent of food away. 

• Another thing that you can use to get rid of these obnoxious sugar-loving critters and other species is borax. Borax can be a dangerous element for pets and humans, but they are highly effective in getting rid of red ants in the house.

•  If you want to go for something quite as effective but less dangerous, you can use cornstarch to seal their entryways and areas where ants show up frequently. 

How to get rid of fire ants?

Fire ants are among the most dangerous ants and are known to attack aggressively if their mounds are disturbed. If you find these ants anywhere near your vicinity, immediately take steps to remove them permanently. Although seeking help from trusted pest control professionals would be the right way to go about it, you can also employ specific DIY hacks.

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• One of the first things you can do is find and destroy their mound/anthill. You need to kill the ants deep inside their colony and add insecticide on top of the mound to eradicate unhatched eggs or immature offspring. 

• You can also use granular insecticides to target their mounds individually to destroy them.

• Natural items like boiling water, vinegar, and baking soda to get rid of these ants and Diatomaceous Earth are effective in dealing with fire ants. Diatomaceous Earth is one of the most effective ant-killers out there, and placing them in the ant entryways can solve the problem of “how to get rid of ants permanently”.

• The bite of fire ants can be excruciatingly painful and can even trigger allergic reactions for some people. So, it is best to seek professional help when you encounter one of those painful bites from a venomous critter!  

Why is a professional pest control service better than DIY methods to eliminate ants?

Here are some reasons why opting for professional pest control services is better than using DIY methods to eliminate ants from your home.

• They are experienced. If you have not exterminated ants before, getting rid of them can be a reasonably tricky ordeal. With experienced professionals, things can get a lot easier.

• Getting professional help can be the safest option. The bites of some of these ants can be extremely painful. When you get professional service, you won’t have to worry about getting bitten as these professionals are always equipped with safety apparatus.

• Some DIY methods include dangerous chemicals bought from the market, so getting professional help can be the right choice as ant exterminators generally use non-toxic, eco-friendly, exterminating agents that safeguard the health of your family members. They do not create any pungent smell as well. 

• Professional ant control experts can do a thorough clean-up job. Getting rid of ants permanently is a common question, and the methods can be extensive and complex. Their job starts with surveying the level of infestation, the typical entry points of ants, their habitat within your premises, the reasons why the infestation is occurring, and finally employing all the relevant solutions to end the entire ant population in your house. 

• Finding the hiding spots of these ants and destroying them permanently is a job best left to these experts, as they are generally locals and have extensive knowledge about multiple species of ants – their habits and their habitats. They also revisit the site from time to time to assess the nature and extent of their solutions. 

It could take a lot of time, effort and experience to get rid of ants from your home, and not many people have all of that. So, if you have an ant infestation in your home, make sure to contact professional ant exterminators to get a thorough job done. 

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