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GETTING RID OF ANTS – THE COMPLETE GUIDE

 

With summer finally here, you’ll be sure to notice more ants marching around. Outside in the garden or intruding in the kitchen, these tiny terrors can multiply quickly and become a huge problem to your home or business if left unchecked.

Ants can contaminate your food, spread diseases and cause an uncomfortable stinging sensation with their bites. In some cases, they can even damage wooden structures and the electrical wiring in your home or office. Thankfully, it’s possible to avoid all these issues by preventing an outbreak as quickly as possible.

If you’re looking for tips on how to stay ant-free in any season, continue reading to learn more.

What questions will this article answer?

Why are there ants in the garden?

No matter where you live or work, it is a common sight to see ants crawling around outside. And as they thrive in warm temperatures, they can certainly be a nuisance when you want to enjoy a hot and sunny summer’s day.

If your neighbours have many ants in their own yard, all competing for limited resources, it makes sense that they’ll wander over to your property to look for food.

Ants are always scouting for food to sustain the colony, so if you have uncovered edible items in your yard, such as rotten fruit, pet food and rubbish, there’s a good chance they’ll find their way to it quickly. Once they’ve located viable food sources, they may bring along other ants and choose to set up their colony in your yard.

Signs of an ant infestation

Here are some ways you can tell that these pesky insects are invading your home or business:

Trails of ants

You have more frequent ant sightings than usual, particularly indoors, clustering around a food source. They tend to prefer moving around in large groups along defined trails, travelling between food sources and their nest.

Disturbed soil or dirt

You can easily tell if there’s an ant colony nearby if you notice small mounds of dirt. You’ll find these ant mounds or anthills outdoors on soil or grass, pavers or up against walls with a characteristic central opening.

Frass

When carpenter ants carve away at wooden structures, they can be messy and leave behind piles of dirt particles, droppings and dead ant parts known as frass. In some cases, you can find wood shavings inside the home from carpenter ants carving away at wood.

White ants

To the untrained eye, termites can look like white-coloured ants and are therefore often referred to as ‘white ants’. However, they are a completely different species and are more closely related to cockroaches than regular ants. So be sure to rule out a termite outbreak as this can cause significant – and expensive – damage to your home or business. To find out more about telling the difference between these insects, read this blog.

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How to manage ants outside the home

If you’ve identified the tell-tale signs that ant colonies are living in your yard, don’t panic. There are many ways you can try to manage them and prevent them from coming inside.

Boiling water

Pouring boiling water into a nest can kill many ants upon contact. However, it may not penetrate deep enough within the ground to reach the entire colony, including the queen, who is responsible for laying eggs and producing more ants.

Water hose

Turning a hose directly into an ant nest enables water to penetrate deep inside the ground and drown all the ants within a colony, including the queen.

Soapy water

For a powerful mixture that damages the outer coating of ants, you can use household items such as detergent or liquid soap mixed with water and oil to spray directly onto ants.

Regular yard inspections

Check your yard regularly for signs of ants. If you notice ant mounds or an increased number of ant trails around your property, you can take steps to prevente them and avoid an outbreak by applying insecticide products to ant colonies.

Professional ant control

Many supermarket ant control solutions can be highly toxic, so if you have a serious ant problem, it’s best to leave it to a professional ant exterminator.

How to prevent ants outside

If you want to spend an enjoyable summer outside, we suggest taking the following steps to safeguard your backyard from ants before the hot weather comes.

Remove access to all sources of food and water

  • Wipe down surfaces including benchtops, tabletops, stoves and sinks
  • Clean any spills immediately
  • Cover food in tightly sealed containers
  • Sweep, mop and vacuum floors regularly to remove crumbs and spills
  • Clear away dirty dishes and throw food scraps away into secured bins
  • Cover pet food

Regular yard maintenance

  • Keep lawns tidy and rubbish secured
  • Clear away debris including fallen fruit, branches, leaves
  • Keep plants, bushes, shrubs and trees trimmed and away from your home to remove easy access points

How to manage ants inside

When it rains, or if the weather is very hot, ants may be drawn indoors to seek protection and enjoy an abundance of resources such as food and water.

Insecticide spray can be applied directly to ants as a spot treatment if there are only a few ants. For serious infestations, this method is far less effective. It’s handier to prevent ants from coming inside in the first place. Inspect your home and use fillers such as silicone and caulk to seal off cracks, crevices, openings, gaps and holes that enable easy access for tiny ants.

You can also make your own natural baits which are safer for children and pets than store-bought insecticides, such as baking powder mixed with sugar.

Natural ways to deter ants

Ants crawling around your kitchen and all over your belongings aren’t a pleasant sight. Thankfully, there are various ways to make sure that this doesn’t happen to you. Here are some natural ant control methods:

Water

Placing your pet’s food bowl within a shallow dish filled with water makes it hard to reach for ants.

Homemade sprays

You can mix essential oils (such as tea tree oil, citrus, clove and peppermint) into a pump bottle filled with water and vodka. Lemon juice and vinegar can also work well, depending on the type of surface. Spray this mixture liberally in areas where you notice ants regularly.

Powdery substances

Sprinkling chalk, baking powder or baby powder around entry points to your home provides an obstacle for ants to come inside. It clogs their pores and causes breathing difficulties.

Deter with overpowering smells

We recommend mixing cinnamon, garlic, mint or black pepper with vinegar. You probably already have many of these everyday pantry staples at home, and it’s as simple as putting them into a bowl and leaving them out. Doing this will leave a strong smell that is unpleasant and repulsive to ants.

Diatomaceous earth

A naturally occurring substance made of ground up tiny fossils, diatomaceous earth can be sprinkled onto heavily trafficked areas. This includes ant trails, ant mounds, along your driveway, the perimeter of your home and patio and your veranda.
It is so versatile that it can also be used indoors, in the kitchen and around doorways and windows.
Diatomaceous earth works by causing damage to the outer shell of ants upon contact, leading to dehydration and eventually death.

Professional ant prevention

At Allstate, our highly trained and knowledgeable team can assist you with your ant problems any time. No matter if you’re at home or running a business, we can come up with an effective way to manage pest ants in accordance with Australian standards and laws. Here is our four-step ant control method:

Initial assessment

We will carefully inspect your yard and building and see if we can locate the source of the outbreak. From this, we’ll be able to decide the best approach to treat the problem.

Ant removal treatment

We use a combination of the following treatments, depending on the extent of your outbreak:

  • Ant control dust is sprinkled into roof and wall cavities
  • Insecticide is applied to designated treated zones around the sides of the building
  • Chemical baits containing insecticides can be placed in locations around known feeding sites, nesting sites and areas which ants heavily traffic

Follow-up treatment

As treatment can take some time, patience is the key to success. That’s why we’ll schedule you in for a review, if necessary, so that we can replenish the treatment until the problem has been completely resolved.

Pest control report

We’ll prepare a report for you to keep regarding the treatment. This means that you can refer to it anytime should any further outbreaks occur.

Struggling with ants? Speak to an expert today

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You can rely on Allstate for safe and effective ant removal

We have been helping customers across all suburbs of Adelaide to prevente ant outbreaks since 1986. We understand the disruption and concern that having ants can cause to you, your family and business, so we offer a 24/7 emergency callout service.

Our team of highly trained, licensed professional pest control technicians is fully equipped to assist you with any ant problems. Whether you’re in a commercial, residential or industrial setting, we have innovative, tailored solutions to meet your needs.

We have a thorough understanding of food regulations and Australian standards to ensure that your home or business remains ant-free and compliant.

Our treatments are non-toxic to people, pets and the environment and can be accessed with a payment plan if needed.

Backed by competitive warranties and a 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee, we can help protect you and your family from ants in the long term. Speak to a friendly Allstate consultant today to learn more.

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