Table Of Content
Commercial products are also available to help kill or detract these pests. Dealing with a pill bug infestation can be frustrating, but with the right approach, you can eliminate them from your home. The main strategies for removing pill bugs from your home include minimizing moisture, removing debris, and sealing pest entry points. Other strategies involve using DIY natural and chemical remedies and contracting professional help.
Stay Away From Sprays
As an alternative to the other options, dry citrus peels and blend them into a powder in a blender or food processor. Any citrus fruit will do—oranges, grapefruits, limes, or lemons. According to a 2014 study, cedarwood oil is very effective at repelling different types of ants and even ticks. Mix two teaspoons each with hot water in a small container and place in their path.
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How to naturally get rid of ants from your home
Strongly scented sprays made with vinegar and essential oils like citrus are great at creating a border or line that ants won't cross. Unfortunately, there's no natural solution to keep the ants away permanently, but with regular maintenance and upkeep you can keep them away for a long time. If you prefer to avoid chemical treatments, a combination of home remedies for ants may help get rid of an ant infestation, though the process may take more time. Remember that while it can be helpful to find natural products to aid in ant prevention, a large-scale infestation may require the use of more stringent ant killers. Some common household products may help you get rid of ants, such as white vinegar, Borax, essential oils, and coffee grounds. That said, certain items may not be safe to use around pets or children.
Essential Oils
"Deploy ant baits, not sprays, that advertise 'queen elimination,'" she says. "Contact sprays only eliminate the ants you have sprayed, which is a very small portion of the colony." "A strong scent of cinnamon makes these tasks difficult for ants, so they need to leave this space and find another one," she says. According to National Geographic, there are more than 10,000 known species of ants in the world. But carpenter ants can damage wood, and ant varieties like fire ants, harvester ants, field ants, and crazy ants can bite or sting people and pets. Use citrus fruits — Citrus fruits such as lemons, limes and oranges are great natural ant repellents.
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If These Methods Don't Work
Once that happens, hundreds of others can follow the trail to the food source. The best way to keep ants out of your home is to make sure that they can't get in. Fill all cracks with caulk, secure any loose baseboards, and patch any drywall holes. It's also important to walk around your home's exterior and examine the foundation for holes, cracks, or other potential entry points for ants and other pests. Carefully carry the pot outside and slowly pour the hot water into the top of the ant hill. The boiling water will flood the ant colony and prevent the ants from escaping and finding refuge inside your home.
It kills ants from the inside out once they ingest it, and it is excellent for targeting entire ant nests. Most ants will take some of your boric acid-laced bait back to the nest, so you’re getting at the root of the issue without having to go searching for the colony. However, with these DIY tips and techniques, you can save money while getting an ant infestation under control. These eight methods will help you eliminate the entire colony, so your home with be ant-free in no time. Ants are attracted to sweet and starchy foods like sugar, honey, and cornmeal. Therefore, one of the best ways to deter ants is to ensure that no food sources are readily available for them to eat.
These wings assist the ants in swarming to find a new location for a colony, which happens in the spring—May through August in the Eastern U.S. and February through June in the West. If you (or a professional) do use insecticides, avoid using them outdoors and look for ones specifically designed for ants. Most insecticides are broad spectrum chemicals that can kill other types of insects.
Steps
To get rid of carpenter ants, resolve the problem that is causing the damp wood they love. Repair leaks, direct water away from the foundation of the house, and add circulating fans to dry the area as quickly as possible. You'll need to become an ant private investigator and follow the odorous house ants to see where they are entering your home and what they are attracted to inside. Once you discover an ant infestation, here's how to get rid of ants and prevent reinfestation.
An ant bed or hill in the yard is a danger to anybody who steps on it—and an eyesore if you're a perfectionist about your lawn. It's important to get rid of outdoor ant beds if you have little kids or if the ants keep making their way inside. Spices with strong fragrances such as cinnamon, red pepper and mint can drive ants away from areas of infestation. Sprinkle the substances where you see heavy activity and particularly around doorways and windows. Coffee grounds can be similarly effective in driving ants out but seem to work best in transition areas such as around porches, patios and garages. Lay down talcum powder — A layer of talcum powder in ant entryways is another safe deterrent, and it will also break down the pheromone trail.
This defensive behavior, known as conglobation, protects them from predators and preserves moisture. Pill bugs are often confused with sow bugs, but sow bugs cannot roll into a ball. But some species, such as the rock ant (Temnothorax albipennis), have evolved an ingenious way to protect the queen and her larvae from poisoned food. Kate McGregor is House Beautiful's SEO Editor, writing in-depth home renovation cost guides, design inspiration stories while overseeing gardening content through routine plant care guides.
The sugar acts as bait which the ants will mistake as a food source and make it easier to get rid of them. Although they don’t eat wood, they tunnel through it to create hollow areas for their nests. If they get indoors, they’ll begin at spots with moisture damage, but from there, they can get into stronger wood, eventually weakening it and causing severe structural damage. But, it does help to deter them due to that aroma that we humans enjoy so immensely. "The scent of cinnamon itself doesn’t kill ants. However, it makes the life of ants much more difficult." Consider the way some ants march in a line towards that drop of honey on your kitchen bench.
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