Easy Ways To Get Rid Of Ants

Want to get rid of ants? Ants invade your home for one of two reasons: to escape extremes of weather, or because they have built a colony nearby. Occasional ant invasions are experienced by many people when the weather is very hot: ants find their way inside for a more comfortable shelter. In rain or flooding, ants will also come indoors.

Ants may also establish their colonies inside or under your house: one common scenario is when you bring a new houseplant into the home and the ants nest in the pot. Ants like sweet nectars, and may forage in citrus or honeysuckle blossoms. Ants also like honeydew, a sticky substance secreted by aphids and scale. Ants will actually protect aphids from marauding predators to protect the honeydew supply.

Most ants are harmless except for fire ants which are highly aggressive and will bite. Carpenter ants, although much larger than other ants, are not aggressive. They cause damage by chewing through wood to build their nests in house timbers. If you find carpenter ants in your house during the winter, it is very likely that there is a nest inside the house. During spring and summer, they may just be passing through.

If ants only visit your home periodically, you may try natural and preventive remedies. Put peppermint or cinnamon oil on the ants' entries and exits, and caulk cracks through which they may travel. You don't have to resort to toxic sprays or ant motels to get rid of ants. Ultrasonic pest control devices drive away all sorts of pests, insects and rodents. Just buy a unit for each floor in your house and plug it in. Emitting a high-frequency tone inaudible to people and pets, ultrasonics can get rid of ants, roaches, spiders, silverfish and even rodents without any chemicals or traps.