by HannahHow To Get Rid Of Ants
Ants might seem like harmless little bugs, but they can quickly become a nuisance in any home or business property. Ant colonies can grow incredibly fast, and the queen can produce hundreds of thousands of eggs a day.
There are many types of ants found in the UK, including black ants, pavement ants, pharaoh’s ants, yellow meadow ants, carpenter ants, and even flying ants. The vast majority of these species are omnivores, meaning ants eat almost everything, including human food, leaves, fungus, small insects such as aphids, as well as fruits and vegetables.
While they’re not as much of a health hazard as other insects, such as bed bugs and fleas, an ant infestation can still be a major problem. Ants congregate in areas with a food source, such as kitchens, and can contaminate food items.
Also, for businesses, ants can be a major issue, as they’re off-putting to customers and might make your company seem unhygienic. Ants in your home can also make it feel unclean and less welcoming, so it pays to remove ants as quickly as possible from your home, business premises or garden.
As specialists in ant control for homes and businesses across Belfast and Lisburn, Flytech understands how to get rid of ants and ensure they stay away.
So, for anyone looking to prevent or remove ants permanently, here’s a guide from our experts on how to get rid of ants.
Reduce Food Sources
Like all other pests, ants need food to survive, and they will congregate in areas with a plentiful food source, such as compost heaps, pet food containers and kitchen cupboards with open food packages.
Open food containers and loose rubbish can attract ants to your home, and once they arrive, ants will spread pheromone trails to inform other ants that there is a reliable food source in this area.
So, one of the easiest natural methods to deter ants from your home is to keep all food in airtight containers, remove and clean pet bowls and use secure compost bins.
By depriving ants of their food sources, you’ll reduce the likelihood that they will continue to spend time on or around your property. Once the ants realise that food is scarce, they will move on and look for somewhere with more accessible sources of nourishment.
Spray White Vinegar
While it won’t kill ants, white vinegar is considered to be an effective natural ant repellent. Ants hate the smell of vinegar, so they will avoid it where possible. Vinegar can also be an effective way to wipe away their scent trails, making it harder for other ants to find food sources in your home.
Diluting white vinegar with water can be a simple way to stop ants from getting into your home and keep them away. Try using it in a spray bottle and wiping it on surfaces such as floors and windows.
In addition to helping to prevent ants from entering your space, white vinegar is also a useful natural cleaning product and fabric softener. As such, using white vinegar is one of the simplest non-toxic methods to remove ants from your home.
Use Essential Oils
Some essential oils are thought to repel ants and are simple ways to remove house ants from your space, although there’s no guarantee this will work. Studies show that cinnamon leaf essential oil can be an effective natural ant repellent, and many people advise using these products as natural repellents.
Other products, such as tea tree oil, lemon eucalyptus oil, lavender oil and peppermint oil, are also said to repel ants from your property because ants hate the scent. The strong smell of essential oils can put ants off, making this a simple way to remove ants.
Using these essential oils throughout your home can be a simple technique to keep ants away. Put the oil in a spray bottle and mix it with water, then spray the solution in areas where you’ve noticed signs of ants.
If you have pets in your home, make sure you check that the oil is not toxic to them before you use it to repel ants.
Call In The Professionals
For a few ants, natural ant repellent might keep them at bay and stop ants from encroaching on your territory. However, as soon as you notice more ants or an entire colony moves into your home or garden, you need to act fast.
Just a handful of ants can quickly turn into an ant infestation. If your DIY methods to deter ants from your home aren’t working, it’s time to get professional pest control.
Flytech offers fast and effective ant removal services. We guarantee the success of our ant treatments, so you can rest assured that the ants are gone for good.
Once we’ve removed the ants, you can use these tips to repel ants and ensure that other ants don’t enter your space once the existing infestation is gone.
If you’re concerned that there are ant hills or other signs of a major ant problem on your Belfast property, now’s the time to act. Call 07955 008274 to get in touch with the Flytech team, and we’ll be happy to discuss how to get rid of ants for good from your home.