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Ants are common insects, with more than 10,000 known species around the world. They are also found in large colonies of up to 500,000. They resemble termites and the two are often confused; ants have a narrow ‘waist’ between their abdomen and thorax that termites do not, they also have much larger heads, elbowed antennae and belong to the order hymenoptera that also include bees and wasps.
They are social insects that live in structured nest communities underground or in trees. They are headed by a queen or queens whose function is to lay thousands of eggs that will ensure the survival of the colony. The worker ants, the most commonly found inhabiting homes are wingless and are tasked with finding food among other duties.
Ants can be quite a common and prevalent bother in your home; in this article we explore how to prevent ant infestation.
Steps to dealing with an ant infestation
- Study the patterns of their behavior: In order to eliminate the problem at the root and for good. Note where they entre from, the cracks in your home and what they are after; ants seek water, greasy food substances in the kitchen mostly. It would also be of benefit to note that ants leave a chemical trail of pheromones for others to follow once the food source has been located.
- Reduce the chances of ant’s infestation: You must remember to clear up food and liquid spills immediately they occur, sweep up food crumbs from floors and work surfaces. It would also be useful to if you sealed the cracks and crevices around doors and window frames thus preventing entry into your home.
- Proper food storage: Make use of air tight containers whenever possible to store any remaining. Make sure all garbage and compost heaps are tightly enclosed and covered in order for the ants not to find items that will entice them.
Natural remedies you can use to get rid of ants
- Mixing 3 parts dish soap and 1 part water and spray wherever you see the ant’s, this will erase the trail left for the other ants to find.
- Make use of is a mixture of vinegar and lemon which you spray around the infested area to act as ant repellant.
- Use kitchen ingredients such as chopped garlic, black pepper and mint to spread around an infested area.
Most homeowners will struggle with do it yourself methods as they may sometimes fail to deal with more serious infestations. This would be when one would seek out the services of a professional pest control service that will make use of insecticides to deal with the infestation properly. Once done, take precautions and stop them from coming back, the simple tips such as cleanliness will aid in this endeavor to ensure an ant free home.
