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Spring has arrived and with it come one of the most difficult pests to control. Ants are amazing creatures. There are over 12,000 varieties of any worldwide, they live practically everywhere on Earth except Antarctica and a few remote islands. They can lift up to 20 times their own body weight. They are a formidable opponent that will never give up on their efforts to invade your yard and home, collect whatever foodstuffs they can find, and reproduce at an unbelievable rate.
An Ounce of Prevention
It is far easier to prevent an ant invasion than to find ways how to control ants in the yard and home. Many families have fallen for the claims made by grocery store products, only to find that they must still look for ways how to prevent ants in the home. Understanding ant behavior is a science. Ant experts understand the life processes and behaviors of ants well enough to prevent an invasion in the first place.
Reputable pest prevention and control services offer homeowners and renters an initial inspection to help them understand exactly what must be done to prevent future invasions and how to control ants in the home. By preventing an ant invasion in the first place, residents eliminate or reduce the need for more stringent measures.
Experts Know How To Control Ants
Some non-repellents are available over-the-counter, in bait formulation. Often, when a pest control customer calls me and I find bait stations, they are not non-repellent, transferable baits. This means that the ant bait simple kills too quickly. Why is this a problem? It does no more than your ant spray. The rest of the colony is not affected when the ant dies. So killing ants in the home is pointless. They just keep coming. When a transferable bait or spray is used, you will have a domino effect. Without knowing it, the ants that get into the bait or spray, become our “agents of death” to the rest of the colony, infecting them like a virus. The mode of action allows the ants to get a lethal dose before dying, then pass it on before it kills the ant that transferred the product.
Take the Bite Out Of the Problem
Domestic varieties of ants are bad enough. Ant problems are further compounded with the introduction of red fire ants, which can inflict a painful bite that will burn. Some individuals will have an allergic reaction to ant bites. It is far simpler and easier to prevent and control ants in the yard and home by using trained professionals who can protect you and your family from these tiny invaders each spring.
The first thing you have to do is make sure to cut off their food source. Ants will eat anything humans eat so making sure that your food is stored well is important. Make sure you use airtight containers made of plastic, glass or metal. Think plastic and cardboard containers can be eaten through by these insects. Also, inspect food packages before you buy them. Sometimes we bring ants and other insects directly from the store without our knowing!
Once you’ve secured your food, begin to hunt for the entrances the ants are using to get into your home. Follow the ants to see where they go and where they’re entering. Seal off these entrances. You can plug the holes and cracks or simply line them with some ant chalk. Ants won’t cross over ant chalk so this is one great method of keeping them out. If you continue to have a problem, check for other cracks and holes.
Say you find a hole or crevice and you can’t properly seal it off? Use some home remedies to keep the ants away. Sprinkle some cinnamon or chili pepper into the hole or crevice. Like ant chalk, they will not cross over these ingredients. For further prevention, plant mint and cloves around your home as these will repel the insects. You can also dip bay leaves into some mint mouthwash and place these in problem areas.
When trying to exterminate ants, try not to kill them unless you are certain you can flush all of them away. Dead ants will emit a pheromone, signaling the others to come for their bodies, which means killing them may only attract more. If you plan on washing them away, do so with a vinegar and water solution. You are sure to both kill them and keep others away.
A severe infestation must be treated by an expert. However, you can make a difference by practicing the above. Remember that prevention is often the best practice as it will save on headaches down the road. If you contact a pest removal professional will usually treat the outdoor area of the home, and then search for the colony to kill the queen. Getting expert help and advice is one sure way to get rid of the problem and prevent ants from taking over your home.
Contact Alliance Pest Services to take care of all your pest control ant problems in New Jersey.
