Residents of apartments do not often encounter a neighborhood of insects, but sometimes even if the room is kept clean and the owners do not leave food on the table, unpleasant insects can start. Some are pretty easy to get rid of, while others become a real headache. Problem insects include domestic ants, which literally drive home dwellers crazy.
However, before engaging in an unequal battle with these parasites, you need to find out as much useful information as possible about them. Let's consider it in more detail.
general information
As a rule, domestic ants in an apartment are small in comparison with their counterparts living in nature. Most often, their size does not exceed 3 mm. They are also often called food ants. In this case, insects can have a color in yellow and brown shades.
The biggest danger is that domestic ants breed at great speed. At the same time, several queens can be present in one colony at once, each of which can bring about 1000 eggs per day. If you make simple calculations, then we can conclude that after just a few months of parasitic activity, they can fill all the rooms. Therefore, you need to get rid of ants at home immediately. To do this, you need to establish why they decided to settle in this particular apartment.
Causes of Ants
As a rule, household parasites come to apartments, since there they can profit from something tasty. Domestic ants are no exception, so they do not disdain dirty dishes and the remnants of crumbs on the kitchen table. A pleasant bonus will be if the owners of the housing rarely take out the bin.
Another reason for the appearance of unwanted neighbors is too much abundance of indoor plants. This is because ants plant aphids on the foliage of home crops. After a while, they collect their “slaves” to enjoy the liquid that they secrete. Therefore, it is worth periodically checking indoor plants for the presence of aphids. If such parasites are found, then small neighbors have already settled somewhere nearby.
The danger of the appearance of ants in the house
The biggest danger lies in the fact that these insects are carriers of infection. This is because they travel through garbage cans, sewers and other nurseries of harmful bacteria. Having settled in the apartment, they begin to spread the infection on their feet. At the same time, it is able to penetrate into the narrowest slots and openings, which is why food products and personal hygiene products will not be protected.
Indoor plants also suffer from house ants. These parasites plant an aphid on them, which begins to eat foliage of crops.
Fortunately, today there are a huge variety of drugs on sale that will help get rid of these unwanted neighbors.
Aerosols
To get rid of ants at home, most people prefer these means, which can be purchased at any household chemistry store.
Aerosols really do their job, however, to obtain a lasting result, it is necessary to spray not only in rooms, but also pay attention to crevices, sewer openings and spaces behind skirting boards. After abundant use of this product, it is recommended to leave the room for a day, so as not to inhale harmful chemicals.
Also, before you get rid of domestic ants, you should carefully read the instructions, and in no case do not use such funds in rooms where allergy sufferers live.
The best aerosols include Reid, Clean House, and Dr. Klaus.
Gels
These toxic agents against parasites must be used with a special syringe. The gel must be poured into all cracks, under skirting boards and other places in which ant colonies can dwell.
If we talk about the advantages of gels over sprays, then in this case you do not have to spray a caustic composition throughout the room. Thus, the poison does not settle on furniture, clothes and other things in the house.
However, before you get rid of domestic ants in this way, you must remove the animals from the premises. If a cat or dog accidentally licks the gel, it is fraught with poisoning.
Among the most effective tools in this category can be distinguished "Help", "Raptor" and "Dohloks."
Powders
Dusts or powder products are most often used in the fight against yellow domestic ants. These funds are relatively safe, as they can be used in the presence of animals and children. At least that's what the producers of some dusts themselves write.
Powders can be used both in dry form and after dilution with water. In both cases, the funds will be effective.
If we talk about the best brands of dusts, then it is worth allocating funds "Delicia", "Bros" and "Muratsid". When buying “Expel” powder, you need to carefully read the instructions, since this composition is considered very toxic.
Traps and lures
It’s worth mentioning right away that such products will be effective only if the product contains poison that acts slowly. He must not kill the ant that visited the trap before he returns to the colony and infects all his relatives.
Modern ultrasonic repellers also belong to the category of these agents. However, they are completely inactive when it comes to ants. Therefore, it is worth giving preference to classic poison traps.
You need to place the bait on the route of the ancestors. As a rule, they go the whole chain. It is also worth placing them in the corners of the rooms.
If we talk about the safety of these products, then they can be safely used at home in the presence of children and animals. The fact is that getting to the poison is almost impossible. But, even if the dog gnaws the trap, he will not taste its contents, since the poison has a very unpleasant taste and aroma.
Crayons
Many people think that special pencils are completely safe. They really contain less poison, but it is very careful to use such funds.
With the help of chalk, it is necessary to process all corners, furniture, sewer holes and other holes through which ants can enter the house. The lines should be quite thick and densely drawn.
However, in this case, there is a risk that the child or pet accidentally tastes the composition. To eliminate such troubles, you can use folk remedies for domestic ants. How to get rid of insects using natural ingredients?
Ammonia
With liquid ammonia, it is enough to thoroughly wipe the skirting boards and all the places where unwanted guests have ever appeared. It is also recommended to smear all their routes. To do this, it is enough to use a 10 percent alcohol composition. After this, you need to ventilate the room and wait until the annoying guests leave the illegally occupied territory.
Boric acid
Borax is also a very effective remedy for ants. This composition has been used by many people for many years.
In order to forget about annoying insects, it is enough to dissolve a little boric acid in water. There you need to add sugar, jam or any sweetness, the aroma of which will attract ants. After that, the composition wipes all corners and other habitats of the parasites.
You can also moisten a piece of sugar in boric acid and lay it close to the colony’s home. Ants will eat poison with pleasure, and very quickly disappear from the apartment.
Coffee
Ants categorically do not tolerate strong coffee aroma. Therefore, in order to quickly get rid of these neighbors and not harm pets and children, it is enough to spread coffee throughout the apartment. The greatest effect can be achieved if you pour a little coffee grounds in the corners of the rooms, in which sugar will be added first.
Yeast and Cornmeal
Speaking about how to get rid of house ants in an apartment, it is worth paying attention to the tools that are used in cooking and are present in almost every kitchen. Yeast must be mixed with sugar or meat and left in an accessible place for insects. This is a fairly effective poison that helps get rid of insects, even pharaoh ants, which are known for their survivability.
Another attractive poisoning agent for parasites is cornmeal. This component is not able to be digested in the tiny stomach of the insect due to which it dies.
What to do to prevent annoying insects from appearing in the house again
There are several recommendations that will help you avoid an unpleasant neighborhood in the future. First of all, it is always necessary to remove half-eaten food from the table. This is especially true for various sweets, fruits, honey and much more. After eating, the dishes must be thoroughly rinsed so that there are no crumbs tasty for ants. The same goes for pet food. Do not leave all day food in a cat's bowl.
Very often ants start up in the bathroom and toilet, as these rooms have high humidity. Therefore, it is recommended to clean them as often as possible. For washing, it is better to use liquid ammonia. It is also important to monitor the condition of the plumbing. If water constantly drips from pipes, then it can become a real source for ants.
It is important to keep an eye on the bin. If it remains filled for more than a day, then this can attract a wide variety of insects. It is best to purchase a bucket equipped with a lid.
It is also worth checking all the walls in the rooms for cracks and holes. If any are found, it is recommended to seal them with cement or putty. It is advisable to close the ventilation holes. If there is no way to do this, then on their perimeter you can glue double-sided tape. Ants will stick their paws to it and will not be able to get inside the apartment.
For wet cleaning, it is recommended to use a solution of vinegar or alcohol. Such compounds will scare away unwanted neighbors and simultaneously give the surfaces a shine.
Sweet insects can also attract insects. Therefore, for some time it is worth abandoning the use of air fresheners, deodorants and perforated water.