House ants are pests that can appear in every apartment. The main cause is a lack of cleanliness in the home, but sometimes they can migrate from neighbors or “arrive” from the street on your clothes.
How to find ants’ nest in the apartment
Before you start fighting pests, find the source of their appearance. Insects are known to make their way from the “feeder” to their home. Leave a piece of something tasty in plain sight and in a couple of hours, you will see it surrounded on all sides by ants. Then look closely at where they go – there will be a nest.
It should be destroyed in the first place because the nest is inhabited by a mother, who will quickly give birth to the next batch of insects. This is why it makes no sense to fight ants point by point.
Most often ants live in places with an elevated level of humidity – behind cabinets or sinks in the kitchen, under baseboards in the bathroom, or behind tiles. That’s where we recommend you look for the nest.
How to get rid of ants with folk remedies
If you do not support the use of household chemicals or can not buy them, pay attention to the ways that Ukrainians have been using them for a long time.
Boric acid
Take something sweet and mix the treat with boric acid, adding a little water. Leave such a mixture in different places in the kitchen – ants will bring their leftovers into the house, and the substance will destroy the digestive system of insects from the inside. An alternative to sweets is boiled egg yolk, and the principle of action is the same.
Vinegar or ammonia
Smear all surfaces in the kitchen or bathroom with ammonia or vinegar – ants will lose their bearings and will not be able to identify their own enzymes left behind during the journey. You can use clear solutions or dilute them with water and then spray the nest and items in the house with a sprayer.
Plants and Herbs
Buy chamomile, lavender, peppermint, or bay leaf flowers from the drugstore – ants really dislike these smells. Pour the herbs into bags and spread them around the apartment. Alternatively, you can use lemon zest.
Garlic or Hot Pepper
Take a clove of garlic and rub it on all surfaces in the apartment – the smell repels insects and makes them look for another place to live. The procedure should be repeated often – the garlic aroma quickly evaporates.
It is the same with hot pepper, it should be scattered along the trail of ants or near the nest.
Baking soda
This substance, getting into the ant’s body, reacts with the acid, which causes the insect to die. Forcing an uninvited guest to eat a treat, mix the baking soda with something sweet (like sugar) and add water. Leave the resulting mixture in hard-to-reach places in the apartment.
Of course, you can also use products from the store to control insects. Gels, chalks, aerosols, powders, and traps – the range of such devices is available in every retail chain. What to use to get rid of ants in the apartment is your own choice.