Every homeowner knows that one ant in sight means a thousand others in hiding. Most people tend to ignore ants in the beginning as they do not cause much bother. But when their population reaches a sizable number, your complacent attitude can cost you a fortune.
Given that ants can easily find their way into your food and drinking water, they can spread life-threatening diseases. Not just that, ants can even cause great damage to properties, especially wooden furniture. If the ant population in your house has grown out of control, calling for the local ant control is the wisest move.
But if their numbers are still small, here are some of the tried and tested tips you can put into practice:
Use Liquid Detergent Spray
If you observe the habits of ants closely, you will notice that all of them tend to walk on the same path. The scientific reason behind this is that ants leave behind a scented pheromone trail. All the other ants simply come following this smell. So when you can remove the smell, the other ants won’t be able to follow that route.
A great way to get rid of the smell is with liquid detergents. Simply make a solution to the detergent and spray on the routes that these ants usually take. If the ant population is small, it will be enough to keep them away.
Try Scented Hand Soaps
Just as the liquid detergents, scented hand soap also works great in masking the smell of the pheromones. Since the scent of the hand soaps is stronger than detergents, they can work great even in outdoor areas.
Spray this solution right at the entrance of your house to keep away the unwanted members.
Sprinkle Pepper on the Surface
Do you love to dress your food with a sprinkling of pepper? Then you are just the opposite of the ants. It is scientifically proven that both black and red pepper work as an irritant for ants. So when you sprinkle it on affected surfaces, the ants naturally retract from there.
However, it is important to note that pepper can only deter ants but cannot kill them.
Use Vinegar as a Natural Killer
If you want to eradicate the ant by killing them totally, then white vinegar works best. For smaller variants of ants, a 50-50 solution of water and vinegar is enough. But for variants such as the carpenter ant, use raw vinegar spray.
Since vinegar is not toxic in nature, it is a safer option than the sprays and poison you find in the market.
Pour Boiling Water
If the ant population resides in crevices between walls or your sinkhole, pour a small quantity of boiling hot water. This can destroy their habitation and disperse the population.
Use Dust Cans With Lids
Ants come to your house only when it finds enough food and water for sustenance. Use dust cans with lids to cut off the ant population.
Remember, these are only home remedies to deal with a few ants. Always call for professionals in case of severe infestation.
