ants in home

4 Steps to Getting Rid of Ants in Your Home

An ant invasion is the last attack you would want in your home. Driven by a constant thirst for water, food, and moisture, these tiny household guests can difficult to get rid of.

There are three common types of ants found at home, the black garden ants, the carpenter ants, and the little black ant. These three species cause a problem in any given environment. As experts, we are here to give you workable solutions to get rid of these unwelcome guests at home.

But before we begin, you need to know the behavior of the ant species

The two most common ant behavior you need to understand.

  • Ants are driven by a thirst for water and food.
  • Ants can survive the floods.

Once you are familiar with the ants’ behavior, we will now look at 4 simple and effective ways to get rid of these household pests.

Step Number 1. Keep a clean environment.

These crawling soldiers have a powerful sense of smell and taste. To get rid of the ants, always keep your foods sealed in tight containers, keep your dustbin clean from sugar remains, and always leave no traces of leftovers on top of any surface.

Step 2. Deal with the ants at their home.

Ants continually march in a trail in search of their needs/wants. To get rid of the entire colony, you need to follow the trail and identify their home. Once there, you can use simple tricks to get rid of these insects.

Two simple ways

  • Pour boiling water inside the entrance and exit points of these ants. (This is considered a drastic measure and is not commonly advised).
  • Mix two parts sugar with two parts borax and set the mixture at the colony entrance. This is a simple trap to attract ants and kill them effectively.

 

Step no 3. Eliminate sources of moisture and water to get rid of carpenter ants.

Black carpenter ants will destroy your wooden fence, house poles and any other wooden structure they find on their way to build their colony. You should know that water acts as a key element in their quest. So, to keep these mites away from your wooden structures, never let them access water.

How to achieve this.

  • Keep the outdoor space as dry as possible.
  • Always manicure your garden to avoid water stagnation.

 

Step 4. Use of ant-insecticide.

Although this is considered a drastic measure that should only be used when push comes to shove, an ant insecticide is one of the most common and long-term methods used to get rid of these tiny pests.

Insecticides are designed to kill ants whenever contact is made.  You can also use other homemade remedies as insecticides to help do the job effectively.

Four most common home remedies.

  2. Lemon Juice.
  • Baking soda.
  1. Boric acid.

 

Conclusion and a word of advice.

As much as the ants play a key role in balancing the ECO-system, it is advisable to get rid of them instead of eliminating/killing them. As a homeowner, identify ways to drive the tiny insects away from your home without harming them or the environment. This is important to keep the natural food chain balanced.

 

Finding and Preventing Bed Bugs

Finding and Preventing Bed Bugs

When it comes to having unwanted pests in your house prevention is far easier than trying to clear out an infestation.  Despite our best efforts you can still end up with ants, bed bugs or some other pest that you need to get rid of.  If you live in an apartment building you can end up with bed bugs through no fault of your own, the neighbors can bring them in and they get to your apartment through the walls.  Find and preventing bed bugs is easier than trying to get rid of them once they have made a nest.  Here are some tools you can use to help you eliminate them once and for all.

Sticky Products

You can use a sticky adhesive product if you suspect you may have bed bugs, place the trap near your bed or anywhere else you suspect they might be.  Check back the next morning or the next day to see if you have caught any.  You can also pick up bed bug interceptors at any home improvement store and place them where needed to determine if you have any, then you can get in an exterminator to remove them.

Pesticides

If there are just a few of them you may be able to get by with a chemical pesticide that you can spray to kill them.  You need to be cautious however even over the counter products can be highly toxic so follow the directions on the can to the letter.  You want to be careful of pets and children and always make sure that you have adequate ventilation when spraying.

Canine Inspections

If you think you may have more than just a couple of bed bugs then try contacting a pest control company that uses dogs for detection.  The dog along with the handler will thoroughly inspect your property to detect where live bugs may be living.  Dogs have an incredible sense of smell and can find bed bugs behind your walls, in the furniture and anywhere else that bed bugs may be hiding.

Treatments

Once it has been established that yes, you do have an infestation then it is time to get rid of them.  There are a couple of ways that this can be done.  The first method is by using heat.  Any of the affected items are put into a receptacle and heated to 45 Celsius, which is warm enough to kill the bugs but won’t damage any of your stuff.  You can even use this method on your electronics.

If the heat approach isn’t enough then your pest control company may have to take more aggressive action.  They will use a combination of pesticide sprays, steam and a vacuum to rid you of the rest of your bed bugs.  There may also need to be follow ups done just to make sure that they are all killed.