How Do I Get Rid of Ants?

Ants are truly a marvel! Did you know there are 8000 different species of ants in the world. The Bible speaks of ants as teaching lessons about planning, preparing, and working. We can surely learn a lot from these critters.

However, we don’t want the classroom in our children’s play areas, in the cupboard, or, in fact, in the house at all. Yet, how to get rid of ants often seems to be an enigma.

Let’s examine some ways to safely and certainly keep ants out of the house. There are things we can do without chemicals. Clean up food items carefully, don’t leave sweet containers out, vacuum regularly, caulk any known gaps where ants could crawl in. Some have used ant traps successfully. Sticky strips catch the ants as they move. But these don’t deal with the root of the problem nor major infestations.

To really succeed, you must get rid of the queen. If she is dead or relocated, the colony is gone. To get rid of her, you must locate the nest. Figure out the movement of the ants. Note where the ants are headed, once they have a crumb of food. Check for converging locations that may indicate the location of the nest.

Once the nest is located, you are ready to get rid of it. This will probably require spraying. Here are some of the common outdoor nest insecticides: bifenthrin as granules, permethrin as a liquid or granules, acephate as a liquid, carbaryl as a liquid or granules, and cyfluthrin as granules. Remember, since ants are so industrious, they can dig so deeply that a light treatment is ineffective. Those who have tried drowning ants, or burning them out with gasoline have said these methods don’t work well.

Another method of keeping ants out of the house is to spray the house exterior with contact insecticides. Some common ones are carbaryl as a liquid or granules, permethrin as a liquid or granules, bifenthrin as a liquid, deltamethrin as a dust, and cyfluthrin as granules. Of course, this could be a big job and you may want to call a reliable pest control firm for this. Likewise, if the nest is in a hidden location or in a wall, help may be needed.

Another effective method is setting out bates. These are poisons that smell like food to the ant. The ants then share it with the colony and all who partake are poisoned. This may kill the queen as well and end the problem. Common bates are abamectin, Fipronil, sulfluramid, disodium octaborate, orthoboric acid, and propoxur. Be sure to use it as instructed on the label.

Using poisons, especially around children and pets, can be dangerous. For this reason, a serious infestation will probably warrant calling for the services of a reliable pest control firm. They know just which one, how much, and where to use the poisons so that there will not be any danger to those you love.

If you’re located in the Eastern Wisconsin area, I’d highy recommend the services of Prompt Action Pest Control. They have been providing full service pest control in Hayward for over 35 years. Just visit http://www.promptactionpest.com/ or call 1 (877) 877-6678 today.