Ants sighting on your outdoors can be fun to watch and with which children can play. Immediately they get access into your house, or kitchen they can quickly go from just an irritant to a tenacious pest. While small, the little critters can be a nuisance when preparing meals. You will easily find them in your sugary foods, making them uninviting. Some of them do bite.
While ants, which get attracted by various conditions, attack in huge numbers, getting rid of them is not that daunting. From simple self-made repellents to ants baits and calling in the pros, here are ways to get rid of ants from your kitchen.
Seal all Your Food
One of the main reasons ants attack the kitchen is that it is a never-ending source of sugary foods. The little scavengers, with a strong sense of smell, come into the pantry for the traces of sugar that might have fallen while you were cooking. Regular, thorough cleaning is efficient at retaining the ants off. Also, seal your food in airtight containers and store water in closed containers.
Once the food and water are stored away, you must deal with the visible ants inside the kitchen. Here are solutions to repel ants safely.
Diatomaceous Earth
This non-poisonous silica made from diatoms are known to kill ants and other small bugs. It works by absorbing all the oil from the ants’ exoskeleton, which dries them out. While it might appear harsh, it gets the job done. Sprinkle some powder on the places where the ants are visible. Do not forget to read the instructions and following them. It can be irritating when inhaled.
Soapy Water
Using any scented soap can wade off ants. It works by eliminating the pheromones scent. It is a smell left behind by ants to help them communicate and navigate. Scout ants leave the smell to inform the others what path they took. Without it, communication dies, and no more ants enter the kitchen.
Peppermint
Peppermint is a well-known insect repellent. Ants, in particular, hate the smell and will always shy away from areas with any peppermint. Sprinkling the peppermint once you have noticed ants on the regular will keep them at bay. Mix some peppermint oil with water and sprinkle it. You could also use it while dry.
Cinnamon
While you could love the fresh earthy smell of cinnamon, ants hate it. This natural repellent can effectively keep ants at bay. Sprinkle it on points of entry, sit back and no. You will not see any more ants. For maximum effect, you could also choose to mix the cinnamon with some essential oils. They give the scent a boost. The little intruders must stay away.
Lemon and Vinegar
Lemon and vinegar have a strong scent. They also are very bitter and sour. Ants that love sugar and starch hate them. Squeezing a lemon, placing the peels, or spraying a vinegar solution in the ants’ point of entries would deter them. You could also opt to clean your kitchen surfaces using water mixed with some lemon juice. The results will be no ants entering your kitchen.
Seal off the Point of Entry
While most people will want to start by sealing off the point of entry, it is not a smart strategy. Closing one will make the ants look for another, as the pheromone scent will still be at play. After using measures to kill the smell and hinder the ants, you can now seal the point of entry.
Identify the Ant Nest
Once done with your kitchen, it is imperative to deal with the whole colony and the mass-producing queen. Outside your house, follow the trail of ants to where they are originating. To be safer, you need to kill them and eradicate the nest.
- Boric Acid- Boric acid is sure to eliminate off the colony. Mix it with sugar or syrup that ants love and pour it on the nest entry. It is a sure bet that the sugar will attract the ants that will, in turn, carry the acid back to the queen. The Boric acid will destroy both the exoskeleton and the internal organs of the queen and her troops.
- Boiling Water- Open up the entrance to the nest and pour in hot boiling water. The water will burn and drown the whole nest thus, solving your problem.
Call in the Pros
Maybe you do not have time on your hands, or the methods you have used are not working. The problem might be different, especially during infestation seasons. To solve the problem, you may need the help of pest control services like Excel Pest Services who guarantee to finish the job. They also do follow-ups meaning you can enjoy your cooking minus the nuisance that is ants.