What is the best way to kill ants inside a house?
Question:Our house is 40+ years old. In the summer time, more and more ants come into the house. We are very cautious about using pesticide. Do you have any good advice ?
Answers:
My God, Sherry! WE have been suffering from this problems and to date, yes we have it licked. The first thing I do is to go on "Ant Watch" or "Bug Watch". You have to find out where they are entering. When you do, caulk it. Then you have to watch again, because they usually have more than one way they are entering. When you find that one, caulk it. Keep looking keep caulking.
Then you have to go outside and do "Ant Watch" around the edging of the house. You have to find where they are crawling up the wall and then down the wall into the ground. At this pint, you get Home Defense (which comes in granules and spray) and you follow the instructions to start protecting the perimeter of the house. WE like Home Defense because the spray has a residual effect. When you use the granules, it involves running the hose, soaking a stretch alongside the house where you saw the ants entering the ground. Then you pour the granules along the soaked ground so they soak into the ground and invade the nests.
Lastly, we do have an exterminator and we're on an annual plan. But, in between those dates that he doesn't come, you have to know how to fight them yourselves.
I haven't seen an ant in our kitchen in weeks!
Our most recent problems has been flying ants. We solved that with basically the same strategy and finding the holes where they were entering and plugging them.
By the way, keep food spills cleaned up and keep the crumbs swept or you and your children will wake up in a bed of ants. Candy wrappers, soda cans, any garbage...ants will find the mess and prey upon it and you.
Though you are cautious about using insecticides, I have seen Home Defense to be in sinc with my pets and I have even put it along the wall next to my bed inside the house without the pesticide smell.
Lastly, make sure you check the spots you secured in the spring. Those little pest drill through and also make new paths. You have to stay on it every year.
Use diazanon pellets around the outside foundation. Find the hole where they are coming in. Place TERRO -just a few drops on a piece of cardboard in the path of the ants.You can buy a little bottle of it at Walmart. They love the stuff,will take it to their nest. In two day,you won't have anymore ants!
hi, we also have the same problem at our place, and we found spreading "VICKS" ( yes the green bottle) on the entracne to all ant hole (ie corner wall in the wall, and door) stops ants from getting in, cos of the smell but this bloackage only last for 2-3 days...and u have to reapply.
aslo there are plenty of good non-toxic pesticides for ANTS only out there on the market.
Amdro Ant Block
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