14 ways to get rid of ants in an apartment

Residents of private homes are familiar with situations when ants periodically appear in the house. With the onset of heat, they wake up and rush to explore new territories. Most often we are talking about small black garden ants. IN wooden houses carpenter ants are often wound up. But residents of apartments are not without “joy” of such a neighborhood. In this case, the owners get bored with small red goose bumps. In the article we will consider the most effective ways to get rid of ants in an apartment forever, and also find out which methods in practice are useless.

What are the dangerous ants in an apartment?

Any insects in the apartment are annoying. Who will be pleased to see how small creatures scurry about in a sugar bowl, in a bread box, or crawl over fresh fruit in a vase? Now imagine that before you crawl through food, a table or cabinets kitchen set, the ants visited the basement, on the stairwell, in the garbage shaft and in other places, from where they could to bring and worm eggs and various infections. Besides:

• Insects spoil the products;
• Some types of ants, for example, garden ants, which you might accidentally grab in things, returning from cottagesmay cause aphids on indoor plants.

The conclusion is clear - you need to get rid of ants. Consider all possible methods and analyze their effectiveness.

How to scare insects

Ants are socially active insects with a clear hierarchy. In each family, there can be from hundreds to several thousand individuals. In addition, each insect plays a role and strictly follows its purpose. Before choosing your apartment as their permanent residence, scout ants will come to the territory. They literally "scout the situation" and if they find enough food and water, they will bring their brothers. If you find insects just at this stage, will get rid from them it will be much easier.

Many seek to simply kill scout ants, but it is likely that others will come instead. The fact is that on their way insects leave traces with the help of pheromones. So their paths are formed. And from a humane point of view, remembering that ants are an important component of the biological chain, it's better simply scare away them from your home. You can do this as follows:

• FROM help the usual sunflower oil. People say that they scared away insects by simply tracking the ant paths and making small puddles of oil on their path. Using an eyedropper, you can make oil paths across or along an ant path. The smell of oil, which we practically do not feel, is unbearable for insects;
• As a deterrent barrier to insects, you can use ground pepper, dry mustard or cinnamon. Due to the fact that the aroma can quickly disappear, the selected substance must be periodically updated, approximately 1 time in 3-5 days and done regularly. Only in this case will the method work;
• Some housewives share that in the case of the fight against single insects, they helped coffee grounds, which they applied as indicated in paragraph above;
• A proven way is to apply water to the ant paths with the addition of ammonia. In 1 liter of water you need to dilute 4 tbsp. ammonia. This method is suitable if you can leave the room for a while until the pungent odor disappears. Also, this method works if the ants have accumulated in hard to reach places. Just spray the composition with a spray bottle. Be sure to use eye protection and smell protection. Even after the smell disappears, insects will feel it;
• Instead of ammonia, you can use natural essential oils mint, rosemary, thyme, cloves, lavender, lemon, orange. Add 2-4 drops of oil to a glass of water, moisten a cotton pad and wipe it with skirting boards around the perimeter of the room. It is important not to overdo it, otherwise it will be unrealistic to be in the room;

• The method of combating ants gained a lot of positive feedback with the help of ultrasonic repeller, which is usually used for fight against moles and other rodents. It is only important to choose a model where it will be indicated that its effect extends to insects.

Note, that all these methods really work if the ants only come to you in search of food. If they set up an ant hill in your apartment, more drastic measures will be required.

Effective folk ways

Only by destroying the ant nest with their queen will it be possible to get rid of insects forever. In this case, the following methods will help:

• Making homemade boric acid based baits. One hard-boiled egg yolk is ground with a fork. A teaspoon of powdered sugar and 20 g of boric acid are added. All mix thoroughly and form small balls from the “dough”. They are laid out in places of greatest congestion of ants. Some just add acid to the honey and put the lids on for a treat. However, many users note that ants simply ignore such a bait. If you haven't pets, instead of yolk, you can use raw minced meat. But this method is rather doubtful. After all, small portions of raw meat at room temperature will quickly deteriorate, and begin to exude an unpleasant odor, which will then be difficult to get rid of;

• Another one poison bait getting ready based on food yeast sugar and boric acid. A small package of yeast is mixed with 1 tbsp. fine granulated sugar and 20 g of acid. The composition is distributed on flat caps for conservation and placed in the right places. You can do without acid. In this case, a bet is placed on the fact that the yeast composition brought into the nest will lead to spoilage of food supplies intended for larvae. Without food, they will die, and the ants will prefer to go in search of a new habitat;

• Starch + powdered sugar. The ingredients are mixed in equal amounts, and distributed along the ant paths. After entering the stomach, starch will begin to swell, which will lead to the death of insects. Semolina gives the same effect;
• Using diatomaceous earth. This tool is safe for both people and pets. It is made from fossil remains of diatoms, which are subjected to grinding. The result is dust consisting of sharp particles. When an insect comes into contact with such a particle, damage to the chitinous cover occurs. This damages its internal organs and leads to death. For humans, contact with the substance is safe, since the skin has high firmness and elasticity, it is impossible to damage it with such small particles. Diatomaceous earth should be poured in the places of greatest congestion of ants, the alleged place of their habitat or penetration into the apartment.

Despite the fact that many positive reviews speak about the effectiveness of the above methods, sometimes the struggle with the help of folk remedies is tiring and inconclusive. If you are categorically against the purchased funds, try to use several compounds at the same time.

Methods that DO NOT work

Based on the negative reviews that were found in many forums and in the comments, we compiled a list of folk remedies that in practice had no effect.

• Scotch + jam. On some resources, they propose to make a homemade trap, which would be a rectangle of thick cardboard, along the perimeter of which a double-sided tape is glued. Accordingly, in the center of the trap you need to put sweet jam, which should attract ants. On the way to the treat, the insect should stick to the tape. In fact, either the ants are absolutely not interested in jam and even honey, or they manage to catch a negligible number of individuals;
• Millet. In general, the use of millet as a remedy for ants is based on its similarity to ant eggs. Allegedly at the sight of grains, the insect should perceive it as eggs of a larger species and leave the territory, and not by eating cereals, as many people think. A very small number of users noted the positive effect of its use. Most argue that the ants simply ignored the white grains, or even carried them away from their habitat;

• Tobacco dust. In addition to the fact that this is a harmful substance, which is a waste of tobacco production and it is undesirable to use it in an apartment, in practice the composition turned out to be useless;
• Acetic solution. Apparently, the vinegar solution does not have a sufficiently pungent odor for ants, as many say that insects continued to follow their paths after processing, as if nothing had happened.

Crayons and powders

The most affordable and easy to use are special chalks or dry powders. Also this the weakest in its action means. It is necessary to scatter it or draw lines in places where insects most often appear. Do not forget to process their most popular habitats - under baseboards, in corners kitchen cabinetsunder kitchen table etc. It is noteworthy that the famous chalk "Mashenka" did not have the desired effect. I could find much more positive reviews about the drug:

• "A great warrior";
• "BROS";
• "Thunder - 2";
• "Delicia";
• "Karbofos";
• "Clean house";
• "Pyrethrum"
• "Antimuravine."

Ant Gels

Gels are sold in special metering syringes or in tubes. The composition is completely safe for humans and animals. Gels are used as follows: the preparation is applied with a dashed line along the ant paths and in all places where insects were most often seen. The effect of the gels is delayed. Ants not only eat the bait with a sweet smell and taste, but also manage to bring it to the nest and feed the queen, namely the death of the queen is the key to success in this case. The most popular are:

• "Raptor";
• "Storm";
• "Clean house";
• "Clobol."

Traps and lures

When choosing a trap or bait for ants, you need to pay attention to the time after which the poison begins to act.

• If you buy a bait with a closed case, but inside of which there is instant poison, you will be able to eliminate only working ants. The living queen will quickly reproduce new offspring and replenish the empty ranks;
• The electric bait has a similar effect;
• The bait with a sticky layer will also not get rid of the whole anthill, but will be effective only when the ants come to you for food or were noticed for the first time. After their application, it is necessary to treat the room with one of the tools described in the second paragraph of the article in order to avoid the re-emergence of ants;
• The best are traps with a closed case, inside of which there is a bait with a delayed action.

Pay attention to the traps "Raptor", "Combat", "Raid", "Deadex", "Delicia".

Aerosols and liquids

Most concentrated are liquids and various aerosols. Before buying them, be sure to check whether they are safe for pets and whether they can be used in residential premises. Aerosols are sprayed, and liquid formulations are applied with a brush to the skirting boards, window frames, and other places where ants most often appear. Complete destruction of insects occurs within a day, or even earlier. After spraying the product, the room must be closed, and after a time specified in the instructions, ventilate. After using the drug, the effect persists for several months. If you notice in the apartment winged ant aerosol will help get rid of it as quickly as possible. It is sprayed directly onto the insect. The following drugs have proven themselves well:

• "Masterlak";
• “Get”;
• "DETA";
• "Raid";
• "Combat";
• "Oro";
• "MultiSpray";
• Fumitox.

In especially neglected cases, you should seek help from special services.