It is annoying when you enter the kitchen and find the tiny ants scurrying or foraging for food. These ants can create havoc inside and outside your house, along with stinging you with a powerful bite.
Ant repellants and ant baits are some of the popular ways to keep them out of your home.
These options work very differently. Hence, it is crucial to understand in detail these options so that you can select the right solution for your house.
What is ant repellant?
Ant repellants deter ants from entering your house. Ants enter your home with only one purpose- in search of food. Repellants used by homeowners do not guarantee to keep your home ant-free. It ensures that the ants find your home less desirable to look for food and build nests inside your home.
Do ant repellants work?
Ant repellants do not work if an ant has already built a nest or found a food source. Ants will fear the repellants, but they will find the better route to reach their destination, bypassing the repellants. Ant repellants do not work to kill the ant colonies.
If your home does not have an ant infestation, applying repellants can solve the problem. Try to put repellants around the doors, windows, and common entry points.
Types of ant repellants:
These are some of the common ant repellants used by homeowners:
- chalk lines
- talcum powder
- vinegar
- cinnamon
- cloves
- chili powder
- cucumbers
- saltwater
- essential oils
What are ant baits?
Ant baits may seem appealing to the ants, but they are poisonous when consumed. Generally, these ants will pick up the ant bait and take it back to the colony. The ant bait is consumed by other ants as well, including the queen in some cases.
Eliminate all other food sources to attract the ants towards the bait.
Do Ant baits work?
When you are using the bait, make sure to leave the trails intact and resist killing the ants. Ant baits have higher chances to kill the ant colonies. Ant baits can take longer to eliminate the ant nests, but at the same time, it is a long-term solution.
Ant baits are a solution recommended by professional exterminators.
Ant repellants vs. Ant baits: What do you need?
The homeowners need to check the ant activity around the house. What is the purpose of entering your home is crucial to understand. Are they foraging for food? Are they looking to build an ant colony inside your house?
You need to use ant repellants if they haven’t made nests. On the other hand, if they have build nests inside your house, you need to use ant baits to kill.
Wrapping up:
You need to identify the ant species you are dealing with and decide which ant treatment is best to remove ants from your house. For instance, carpenter ants may expand and dwell inside your home if left undisturbed.
If you have an ant infestation, professional pest control experts will recommend the best option to remove ants from your home.