Mary Allen
Ants are harmless to humans. But when they flood into the house in large numbers or undermine the garden slabs, they become a nuisance. Get rid of them with these home remedies and tips.
In summer they are in top form: ants, the small, hard-working creepy-crawlies. In the garden, they loosen up the soil, eat dead animals and feed on the larvae of some pests, among other things. However, they can also become a nuisance if they infest plants or come into the house in large numbers. Instead of attacking ants with a chemical club, you should use proven home remedies.
Many different types
Around 100 species of ants live in our latitudes. At first glance, they only differ in size, which ranges from almost two to ten millimeters. But color and the way they build their nests are also different: underground, above ground, in old wood, and sometimes in buildings.
Ants in the house: close food tightly
Some species of ants come into apartments in search of food. Once they have found a source of food, they leave a scent trail that their conspecifics use to orientate themselves. This is how so-called ant trails are created. If you quickly remove crumbs and leftover food – including from pets – you can prevent this. Supplies belong in tightly sealed containers, and also in the refrigerator. Garbage should be taken out of the home every day.
Fight ants with strong smells
To block ants from entering the house, joints and cracks can be sealed with silicone. Strong smells drive ants away because they disturb their sense of direction. Oils or herbal concentrates, such as lavender and mint, have proven their worth. Lemon peel, vinegar, cinnamon, chili, cloves and fern fronds placed in front of entrances and on ant paths and nests also help.
Lime stops ants in the home
An alternative are alkaline substances such as lime or chalk. Ants avoid coming into contact with them and will not walk over a thick line of chalk or a trail of garden lime. However, the animals will try to avoid the line. The method of spreading baking powder is controversial. The effect is limited, but the ants can die in agony.
Ants protect aphids
Garden ants are a common species in the garden. They prefer sweet food, such as honeydew, the excrements of aphids, and scale insects. Ants follow lice to the tops of many plants and even protect the lice from predators. If you want to drive away the ants, you should fight the lice. At the same time, the plant should be strengthened, because the pests prefer to attack weakened plants.
Use gravel instead of sand
The black garden ant likes to build its nest under garden slabs, which warm up quickly in spring. The animals carry sand out, crumb by crumb until the slabs are no longer stable. When laying the slabs, you should use fine gravel instead of sand as the substrate, which ants cannot carry away. Another option is to completely seal the joints with mortar.
Organize a move for ants
Other species live under the lawn and dig up the ground. If they become a nuisance, they can be relocated by placing a large flower pot filled with dry grass and some jam over the nest. After some time, the ants move into the pot and take their white eggs with them. When the move is complete, you can lift the flower pot with a shovel, place it in a plastic box and place it in a suitable location with loose soil at least 30 meters away.
No danger to humans
Ants are harmless to humans. If they feel threatened, they spray formic or formic acid, which burns the skin. However, the small amounts are harmless to people who are not allergic.