Fighting house ants in the apartment - drugs and folk methods

These miniature insects of black or red color appear in apartments in March-April and are initially perceived as messengers of spring. But soon they begin to poison life, crawling into all sugar bowls, jars of jam.

They settle in sweet buns and cookies, gnaw holes in candies. They crawl on the bed, climb into household appliances. Closer to summer, ant colonies begin to divide, and whole colonies of insects begin to move along the walls.

Fighting house ants in an apartment is not difficult if you know how to do it correctly.

Content:

• Description and harm from ants
• Ant control methods
• Boric acid from ants
• Folk methods of struggle
• Chemicals and devices 
• Ant prevention

Description and harm from ants

Ants become indoor, settling in our apartments. They live in numerous colonies with a strict hierarchy. Females and males are engaged in the extension of the genus, the rest of the insects are involved in ensuring this process, guard the anthill, and bring food. To do this, they travel long distances. After a source of food is found, a worker ant marks the path. Thus, other individuals find their way to food. In the apartment you can see such paths along which ants scurry quickly.

These are insects of the order Hymenoptera. But only males and females have wings. Working ants are wingless. All of them have long geniculate antennae, 11-13 segments each, depending on the species. The abdomen of the ant is thickened; it is separated from the thoracic region by a narrow waist. In this they differ from termites, whose body is flat.

The body length of the red female ant is 4 mm, of the working individual - up to 2.5 mm.

The color is yellow or red. Likes to settle in warm places with high humidity. It does not dig nests, but settles in ready-made cavities. Sometimes red ants create diffuse nests, populating several cavities. Sometimes they can be at a distance of several meters from each other, but they have passages connecting these branches.

Periodically, a part of the family is separated and leaves in search of a new place of residence. Then the room is filled with a significant number of winged ants. Heading towards the windows, trying to get out. Ants usually build nests outside. But sometimes they end up under the house, in the basement. Then the workers penetrate through the cracks in the floor and begin to look for food.

There are black and red ants (called pharaohs). The latter appeared on our territory at the end of the 19th century. They are larger than black in size, bite painfully if they get under clothes. Ants are not insects dangerous to humans. Rather, they cause discomfort if they appear in large quantities. Along the way, the ants transfer various garbage to the food they eat. After all, they crawl all over the apartment, including the trash can.

Ant control methods

After the ants crawl around the apartment, finding themselves in the most unexpected places, the owners begin to fight them. Some are looking for a nest to get rid of them all together. But finding them isn't easy.Sometimes under the baseboard or window sill there is only the entrance to the apartment, and a long and winding path leads from it to the nest. It is not necessary to destroy walls or floors in order to get to them. You can use agents that will bring a poisonous substance into the nest.

Ant control methods:

• Folk remedies
• Boric acid traps
• Chemicals (sprays, gels)
• Ultrasonic scarers
• Boric acid application

Boric acid from ants

Boric acid, entering the ant's body in small quantities (3%), destroys chitin, from which its body is created. If there is a lot of acid, the ant will die quickly, not having time to bring it to the nest and feed the females.

To get rid of insects with boric acid, you need to be patient. The whole process will take a lot of time, perhaps a couple of months:

• For a long time, baits using boric acid have been used to combat indoor ants. To do this, boil the egg for 10 minutes. Take out the yolk from it, knead it. Collect 1 tea. a spoonful of boric acid. Mix with yolk.
• Boil 3 potatoes and 3 eggs. Peel, mix the yolk with potatoes and knead until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Add a bag of boric acid and 1 tsp. Sahara.

Roll small balls from the resulting product. Lay out along the path of the ants. There should be no food left on the table overnight. This is necessary so that the ants eat the poison, and not the more delicious food. Do not leave water in open containers or at the bottom of the sink. Water neutralizes the action of boric acid.

Useful video on how to get rid of ants:

The balls initially have a strong aroma. But then it disappears, and you need to cook the bait again and lay it out instead of the old one. The process of destroying an entire family will take a month or more. Folk legends advise to lay out the balls 2 times. The first is at the beginning of the waning of the moon, the second is at the end.

Other products are mixed with boric acid:

• Honey or sugar is combined with boric acid in equal amounts. If necessary, add water. The mixture should be liquid, but not spread when applied to surfaces. Drops are applied along the path of the ants. They will carry the boric acid mixture into the nest, and after a while the ants will disappear.
• Boric acid is added to the jam mixed with a small amount of yeast. Apply the resulting mixture to flat plates. Lay out along the path of movement of insects. Yeast brought into the nest spoils the food supply for the larvae, so they die of hunger. Boric acid affects adults.
• Minced meat is mixed with boric acid and laid out in balls around the apartment. It must be carefully hidden from pets that can feast on the poison. The bait can attract flies.
• Boric acid is mixed in equal amounts with glycerin and brown, honey or sugar moistened with water is added. Traps are inspected regularly. I add water to the dried ones or replace them with new ones. You can lay out a dry mixture of boric acid. These traps are changed once a week.

Folk methods of struggle

Over the many centuries of coexistence between man and ants, which by the will of fate have become indoor, many folk methods have been developed to get rid of insects. They are distinguished by accessibility, ease of execution and even humanity.

Not everyone will be able to put a glass of sugar dissolved in water, wait until a large number of insects drown there and drain them down the toilet. No wonder there is an expression "the ant will not offend." The same plan is for the proposal to leave lumps of sugar soaked in water on the table. After there are as many of them as possible, they are brushed off the table and taken out into the street or removed from the apartment in another way.

Coffee grounds mixed with sugar syrup kill ants.

Such methods of struggle will not suit many due to the fact that only individuals who came to the bait are destroyed here.If the nest is large (first floor, anthills under the house), it will take a very long time to catch them. It is better to create conditions under which the ants will leave the room themselves.

With a small amount of them, sprinkle the pathways with dried medicinal chamomile. The ants do not like her smell, so they look for other ways. Chamomile can be safely laid out in bed or near food.

Chemicals and devices

If you don't have time to take care of the traps regularly, use specially designed drugs bought in veterinary pharmacies or specialized stores:

Preparations / devices	Action and application
Raid (spray)	Spray all cracks and cracks, all paths of movement. Close the vents and leave for at least an hour. Then the room is thoroughly ventilated.
Raid (traps)	The granules are laid out along the movement paths According to the principle of action, the agent is similar to boric acid.
Dohlox	Helps get rid of ants and cockroaches.
Raptor (gel)	Apply skirting boards and ways of movement of insects. Valid for up to 8 months. Has a bitter additive that protects against accidental eating by animals. Easily rinsed off surfaces.
Zindan cuts (gel	Acts similarly to the previous remedy.
Frontline (spray)	Very effective means of fighting all types of insects
Chalk "Mashenka"	Contact action insecticide. It does not contain baits, so it is better to use it together with gels. One pencil is enough to cover an area of ​​30 m2. Waiting time 7 days, then repeat processing.
Riddex Plus Electromagnetic Repeller	The device with a range of 200 m is safe for people and pets. Plugs into a regular electrical outlet. Power 4 W, pulse frequency 0.8-1 Hz.

Ant prevention

To prevent ants from getting in the house, they should not be left with food. Therefore, you need:

1. Keep tables and sinks clean.
2. Take out the trash can immediately after it is full of waste.
3. Keep tiles and furniture walls clean, removing traces of splashes and grease.
4. Clean animal feeders regularly.
5. Cover dishes with food.
6. Do not throw food for animals on the floor.
7. Ants don't like the scent of cloves. Therefore, clove basil can be planted in the room. Its leaves rub the surfaces along which the insects move. But first, it is better to drive the insects out of the room.

With a small number of them or after the fight has finished with them, sprinkle the paths of advancement with dried medicinal chamomile. Ants do not like its smell, so they look for other habitats. Chamomile can be safely laid out in bed or near food.

You can learn more about how to get rid of ants in the video:

Folk methods are advised to rub the ways of promoting ants:

• Garlic
• Lemon
• Wormwood
• Elderberry leaves
• Anis
• Parsley

Ants don't like their smells. Some of them will not be pleasant for the owners either. Having determined the best option, the treatment is repeated once a month.