Ants may be tiny creatures, but there is strength in numbers, and when they all get together, they can be a mess to deal with. While it is common to see ants around your home, it can be problematic when you constantly find them in your food. And there are even ant species that can do structural damage to your home.

If ants become a problem in your life, it’s best to address the issue and get rid of them. So, here are some ways to do so.

1. Bait the Scout Ants

You often see ants in a trail, but occasionally you will encounter ants all on their own. These are scout ants whose mission is to forage around for food to take back to the colony. If you see a single scout ant in your home, the rest are likely nearby. So, it’s best to use the scout ants to send a message to the colony.

To do so, you will need to lure the scout ants with bait. Most people’s instinct is to use sugar to bait the ants. However, ants’ food preferences actually change depending on the time of the year. For example, ants often look for protein in the spring and then transition to sweets and oily foods in the summer.

You can test out a few food items to see which ones will attract the ants the most. Some examples include sugar, peanut butter and fried food. When you figure out what type of food they’re leaning towards, you can buy ant bait that targets those tastes. Ant bait packages will often indicate that with phrases such as “controls sweet-eating ants.”

2. Erase Ant Trails

You often see ants marching in a line, with one ant in front of the other. This is because ants leave a scented trail to allow their fellow ants to find and follow them. So, if you see trails of ants on your wall or floor, it’s best to eliminate the scent to prevent other ants from coming into your home.

While the instinct is simply to sweep them away or use a mop, this is not enough to erase the scent trail. You’ll have to use a mixture of one part vinegar and three parts water to do the job. Place this mixture in a spray bottle and start spraying it in the places you’ve seen ants before. This way, the outdoor nesting ants will no longer be able to enter your home and create a nest there. 

3. Wipe Out the Colony

Sometimes, you just have to address the issue at its source. And for ants, this means the colony. 

If you were able to set out toxic ant bait, the scout ants would likely take the bait back to the colony to share with the others. This will not only kill the scout ants that came into your home, but it can also wipe out the entire colony.

However, this may not work all the time, especially if you weren’t able to use enough bait. In this case, you’d have to locate the nest yourself and spray it with some insecticide. Go for ones that contain bifenthrin, deltamethrin or permethrin.

In Summary

Just because ants are tiny doesn’t mean they can’t create a big problem. To address the ant problem in your home, it’s best to use ant baits, erase the ant trails and wipe out the colony. But if you’re not sure how to deal with the ant infestation yourself, you always have the option to call ant control services.

Get rid of ants in your home with the help of Clean & Green Pest Managers. We provide ant control in Sydney and the Northern Beaches, and can treat and eradicate all the common pests that can be found around your homes and workplaces. Request a quote now!