One of the most annoying and pestering insect infestations that most households suffer from is ant infestations. You see, ants not just make things messy and dirty, but more importantly, their bites can sting. There have been cases where medical attention was needed in order to cure a single ant bite. Yes, ants are the clear manifestation of the saying, “Small but terrible”.
Unless drastic measures are made, ants will never leave our homes. We all have experienced flushing an entire anthill only to found out another one popping after a few weeks or even in a matter of days. We all tried the pouring of boiling hot water on a crack on our flooring or in a hole in the corner of our kitchens or bathrooms only to find out ants still entering and exiting on that particular spot after a few hours. The only way to permanently fix our ant problems is through the use of pesticides or better yet, through the use of natural methods and a more disciplined take on the cleanliness of our house.
While pesticides may work on eradicating ants, these pesticides may contain toxins that may be harmful not just to the environment but also to our family’s health as well. Thus, getting rid of ants through natural methods is the better option. Now, without further ado, here are 5 proven methods in eradicating ant infestations in our households from our expert friends at Pestkilled.
1. Vinegar
Another popular natural remedy for ants is the vinegar. With its strong smell, the vinegar can be strong repellant to ward off ants and of course, to mask their scent trails. Though if you end up being bothered by its smell, you can mix the vinegar with citrus or other essential oils.
2. Baby Powder / Chalks
According to some experts, chalks which contain calcium carbonate can neutralize the scent trails of ants. The same principle applies to baby powder. By drawing a white line on their trails, ants will eventually lose their way around the area where the chalk or powder is being drawn.
3. Organic Essential Oils
Ants generally find their way to and from their destination via pheromone trails. And with the use of their antennae, ants can communicate and pass on information to their fellow ants. And to disrupt this communication and prevent the transmission of their trails to their fellow ants, organic essential oils have been proven to be very effective.
According to studies, natural essential oils have properties that are able to throw off or even neutralize the smell of the ant trails. Thus, with the use of natural oils, ants won’t be able to find their way or even transmit trails to other ants, they will just end up wandering and eventually getting lost or die. Peppermint, Tea Tree, Clove, Lemon and Orange essential oils are the most popular and common essential oils that can be used against ants. To use them, just wet a cotton ball and wipe entry points or better yet, you can leave a wet cotton ball on cracks and holes where they come from and leave it there for a few days or as long as needed.
4. Cinnamon Powder
Cinnamon which contains Cinnamaldehyde can be a great solution to ants. Cinnamaldehyde are toxins that can harm and kill ants, so sprinkle cinnamon powder around the areas where ants are frequent and repeat process until ants are complete gone.
5. Maintain cleanliness
And as a final tip, in order to avoid the recurrence of ant infestation, always maintain your house clean especially the kitchen and dining area. Keep leftover foods stored or disposed properly. Sweet foods should be properly covered and kept in cabinets to prevent ants from finding them. No matter how you kill and seal the entry points of ants, they will still keep coming back, lest you clean and eliminate the reason why they infest your house in the first place.
Article Submitted By Community Writer