How to get rid of ants in an apartment and a private house

In addition to aesthetic sensations, ants carry real harm to the health of all households:

1. Ant stings are painfuland can cause an allergic reaction, especially in children.
2. Ants can lay their eggs in both human hair and pet fur. This causes skin burning and itching.
3. In addition to this, insects are carriers of viruses and infections.which are transmitted to animals, and from them they pass to people.
4. Active transfer of microbes from garbage and its distribution throughout the apartmentthey in the process of searching for food climb into the dirtiest corners.

Ants fight

If ants are found in the house, it is necessary to deal with them immediately, since the speed of reproduction of insects will complicate the process of dealing with them.

Moreover, the ants hide the nest, creating a large number of paths, by which it is almost impossible to determine the location. There are times when nests are located on the street, and insects come to houses only for food. In such a situation, the fight against them will be easier.

There are a few steps you need to take before starting the fight:

1. Warn neighbors about planned events. The best solution is to do it in cooperation.
2. Accept that there is no means yetwhich would forever get rid of such a scourge, and be prepared for a relapse.
3. Clearly follow all instructions for ant control products. Attempts to apply a larger amount to increase the chances will not bring the desired effect.

Reasons for the appearance of ants in the apartment

The appearance of small pests in a person’s home brings with it discomfort for the household. Ants are happy to settle in a human dwelling. The conditions that are necessary for the optimal reproduction of colonies are maintained in the premises: the presence of water, food, heat.

Ants enter human housing through ventilation ducts, pipes, cracks in walls, holes in masonry, from basements and through cracks in windows. In addition, ants can get into the room on a person’s clothes, shoes, food, from neighbors. if you live in an apartment building.

Before settling in a particular room, several ants — scouts inspect the new territory. Suitable premises are occupied in a short time. If an ant queen is accidentally brought into the house, the colony will find it in any case and the settlement will inevitably take place.

The main types of wrestling

There are several time-tested effective ways to deal with the invasion of ants, let’s look at some of them. All funds differ in cost and place of application, in what conditions it is used.

Insecticide spray

This tool helps to achieve quick results, but does not solve the problem at the root. The fact is that spraying occurs, as a rule, only on worker ants, this instantly destroys them. However, the main thing in the anthill is the uterus and without its destruction all actions are useless.

Killing the sprayed ants will not infect others, so this is a purely local solution.

insecticidal gel

This form is rightfully considered the most effective, because it allows you to destroy not only a group of worker ants, but also harms the larvae and, most importantly, the uterus.

The principle of operation is as follows:

1. Droplets of gel are applied to the main places accumulations of insects.
2. Ants, attracted by the smell, go to the gel and take it with them to the anthill.since their tasks include feeding the uterus and larvae.
3. The tool is designed in such a way that the ants do not die immediately after contact with it. The duration of the action is calculated so that they have time to get to the uterus and transfer the poison to it.
4. Gradually, infection occurs. On average, it will take from 2 to 8 weeks until the pests are completely destroyed.

This technique allows not only to locally get rid of insects, but also to solve the problem of their presence for a long time.

Boric acid

This is one of the folk remedies that can compete with existing chemical compounds.

By itself, the acid is a widely used antiseptic, sold in ordinary pharmacies and has a low cost.

What is the secret of the effectiveness of boric acid in the fight against ants? The fact is that it affects the nervous system of the insect, within a few hours it causes paralysis and death. Moreover, even the remains of a dead ant contain particles of boric acid, which can also kill.

Since the acid is in the form of a powder, it very quickly enters the anthills, where everything gets dirty with it, and the ants, having to remove particles from their paws, are poisoned.

Boric acid can be applied on its own by simply scattering it over the most popular ant habitats, or you can create mixtures that are attractive to ants, this will speed up the infection process.

A few recipes:

1. Sweet lure. Ants smell sugar well, so the following mixture is created: 1/10 of boric acid is mixed with jam and honey in equal proportions. This «yummy» is best placed near the trash can.
2. Balls with yolk. In this recipe, boric acid powder is mixed with egg yolks. Small balls are formed from the resulting mixture, which are placed in places where ants often visit.
3. Balls with honey and sugar. The process of creating and using the mixture is similar to the previous version. The main components in this case are: boric acid, glycerin, honey and sugar.

An important aspect when using boric acid for pest control is that the process will take several weeks. It’s not the fastest, but it’s actually one of the most efficient.

Pencils and dusts

The use of pencils and dusts is an effective long-term method for dealing with ants. They are easy to use: they are applied to insect paths and surface treatment of kitchen furniture is also recommended.

It is important that they are absolutely safe for people and animals.

Traps

One of the most controversial means of dealing with ants at home is traps. This is due to the fact that some of them are highly effective, and some are useless.

Main types of traps:

1. The trap has an attractive sweet smell and poison. An ant enters there, gets dirty with powder and goes to his anthill. There is an infection of the rest. The component used as a poison does not kill the pest immediately, but gives time for it to reach the uterus. These traps can be built at home. The efficiency is high.
2. The bait in the form of a plastic package contains all the components as in the previous version. The efficiency is high.
3. Traps, the principle of which is based on the fact that insects die instantly, have low efficiency, since they do not solve the problem at the root. They are presented in several forms: electric, with Velcro and with a high content of poison. They will not affect the colony in any way, destroying only worker ants.

When setting traps, the place plays an important role, since only the right position is a guarantee of the result.

Basic recommendations when choosing an installation location:

1. Ant trails.
2. Wall and floor joints.
3. Skirting boards.
4. Places behind kitchen furniture.
5. ventilation.

These are the most popular locations for ants, although there are also unexpected placements. When using traps, you must carefully monitor them, check their contents and, if necessary, replace them in time.

All traps can be either purchased ready-made or made independently. Each of the options has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Outcome

So, in order to successfully get rid of ants, you need to determine the place where they appear from, their appearance — this helps to understand where the nest can be and sometimes decide on the choice of means.

Commercially available preparations have a wide spectrum of action and will help get rid of all types of ants: small red ones, as well as large red and black ones. Each situation is individual and it is difficult to say which tool will better cope with the task of protecting against ants, whether it be an apartment or a private house.

Top 10 Best Ant Remedies

All funds are divided into different types, consider several names of each variety:

Aerosols:

1. Raptor. One of the most advertised tools that copes with its tasks. It contains: cypermethrin, deltamethrin, piperonyl butoxide. Has a minty smell. Price: 246 rubles
2. Combat. Similarly with the «raptor» it incorporates flavors with the taste of lemon and mint. High efficiency in pest control has been proven in practice. 400 rubles
3. raid. This tool has a long positive history, but now it loses in efficiency to analogues. 287 rubles

Gels:

1. Globall. One of the most effective gels on the market has a relatively low price. 140 rubles
2. Raptor. Supplements the action of the aerosol, it is recommended to use together. In this case, the formula is saved in both names. 200 rubles
3. Fas. Used mainly in private homes, but will also be effective in apartments. 50 rubles
4. Storm. It is similar in formula and action to Globol, but has a higher price. The structure is presented in the form of a gel paste. Outperforms all competitors in terms of efficiency. 500 rubles

Pencils and powders:

• Masha. One of the most famous crayons created to control household pests. Despite a long existence without changing the composition, it still competes with the most innovative products. 170 rubles
• Pyrethrum. Made at home and is a mixture of ground chamomile and a concentrated insecticide. 50 rubles

Traps: Combat. It is presented in the form of a plastic box, with the insecticide contained in it. The main advantage is safety in the presence of children and pets at home. Although many insect poisons are harmless to humans and animals, their use is not recommended. 260 rubles

Crayons and powders

The most affordable and easy to use are special crayons or dry powders.

Also this
the weakest by its action means. You need to scatter it or draw lines in places where insects most often appear. Be sure to treat their most popular habitats — under baseboards, in the corners of kitchen cabinets, under the kitchen table, etc. It is noteworthy that the famous crayon «Mashenka» did not have the desired effect. Much more positive reviews were found about the drug:

• «A great warrior»;
• «BROS»;
• «Thunder — 2»;
• «Delicia»;
• «Karbofos»;
• «Clean house»;
• «Pyrethrum»
• «Anti-ant».

What tools do professionals use?

In addition to the fact that you can get rid of ants on your own, you can always involve professionals in the fight.

The advantage of this method is that specialists use only proven tools that have a number of advantages. In particular, they are generally odorless, harmless to humans and animals.

Also, professional services provide certain guarantees for their work. In the event of a reappearance of insects, they will provide their services for free.

Traps and lures

When choosing a trap or bait for ants, you need to pay attention to the time after which the poison begins to act.

• If you buy a bait with a closed body, but inside which there is an instant poison, you will be able to eliminate only worker ants. A living queen will quickly reproduce new offspring and replenish the empty ranks;
• An electric bait has a similar effect;
• The bait with a sticky layer will also not get rid of the entire anthill, but will be effective only when the ants come to you for food or were seen for the first time. After their application, it is imperative to treat the room with one of the means described in the second paragraph of the article in order to avoid the reappearance of ants;
• The best are traps with a closed body, inside of which there is a bait with a delayed action.

Pay attention to the traps «Raptor», «Combat», «Raid», «Deadex», «Delicia».

Prevention

The main preventive measures include keeping the house clean, as ants are attracted to leftover food and crumbs. Other preventive actions include:

1. Thorough cleaning in the kitchen after eating and cooking.
2. Storing food in airtight containers where ants cannot enter.
3. Frequent wet cleaning of kitchen furniture.
4. Do not leave sweets open.
5. If there is an animal, wash its bowl and avoid food residues in it.

Reviews

1. Julia: “For a long time I could not overcome the ants, it seemed from the use of funds, they only become more and more. I decided in the end to try folk options and bought boric acid at the pharmacy. I didn’t even process it in any way, just sprinkled it. A couple of weeks later they were gone!”
2. Maria: “I have used it more than once and I recommend the Raptor to everyone, the combination of gel and aerosol is very effective.”
3. Kristina: “I love Mashenka most of all, my grandmother also used it. I recommend to everyone».
4. Olga: “I have always used folk remedies, but then I decided to try the Combat trap. It worked very well, now I’ll definitely cope with it for a summer residence. ”
5. Love: “A supporter of the Raptor, has always worked, and will continue to work, proven technology. I advise.»