How Do I Keep Ants Out of My House?

Ants are truly a marvel! Did you know there are 8000 different species of ants in the world. Ants are even mentioned in the Bible as teaching us lessons about working hard, planning ahead, and preparing for the future. Yes, there is a lot we can learn from ants.

But most of us are not interested in the lessons from ants being taught in our children’s play areas, where we eat, or, in fact, in the house at all. But how to keep them out of the house is often a puzzle.

What are some safe and reliable ways to get rid of ants. We can first take steps in getting rid of ants without chemicals. Don’t leave sticky jars out that would attract ants, vacuum often especially in areas ants are seen, caulk potential entry points, and keep food items off the floor and counter. Ant traps can be purchased locally and can help small problems. Sticky strips catch the ants as they move. But, as successful as these might be, they don’t deal with the source of the problem.

To really succeed, you must get rid of the queen. She is the lifeblood of the colony. To get rid of her, you must locate the nest. Track the ants. Try to figure out where they are going when they have some food item. Check for signs where ants converge in large numbers.

Once the nest is located, you are ready to get rid of it. Spraying will probably be necessary to do this. Some of the common outdoor nest anticides are permethrin as a liquid or granules, carbaryl as a liquid or granules, bifenthrin as granules, cyfluthrin as granules, and acephate as a liquid. Be sure the nest is soaked for ants are able to dig deeply, out of reach of a light treatment. Those who have tried drowning ants, or burning them out with gasoline have said these methods don’t work well.

Plan B is to spray the exterior of the house with contact insecticides. Some common ones are the following: cyfluthrin as granules, permethrin as a liquid or granules, carbaryl as a liquid or granules, deltamethrin as a dust, and bifenthrin as a liquid. Of course, this could be a big job and you may want to call a reliable pest control firm for this. This may also be necessary if the nest is located in a wall or other hidden place.

Another effective method is setting out bates. These are chemicals that the ant thinks are food. They therefore take them back to the colony and share them with everyone. This may kill the queen as well and end the problem. Here are some common bate poisons: sulfluramid, abamectin, disodium octaborate, Fipronil, orthoboric acid, and propoxur. Be sure to use it as instructed on the label.

Using poisons, especially around children and pets, can be dangerous. So if the problem is serious, you will probably want to call on a reliable exterminator. They know just which one, how much, and where to use the poisons so that there will not be any danger to those you love.

If you’re located in the Eastern Wisconsin area, I’d highy recommend the services of Prompt Action Pest Control. They have been providing full service pest control in Rice Lake for over 35 years. Just visit http://www.promptactionpest.com/ or call 1 (877) 877-6678 today.