As temperatures continue to rise, insect infestations often occur in the house and on the balcony. Uninvited guests often include ants. Although they are useful residents in the right habitat, no one wants to find them in their kitchen or bedroom. In the following article we will tell you how you can get rid of the ants and protect your house from the little, crawling intruders.
How to prevent ant infestation
To prevent ants from getting into your house in the first place, it is important to take preventive measures. Therefore, make sure that there are no leftover food lying around the apartment. You should rinse and dry dishes immediately. It is best to store food supplies in airtight containers. Even food in the refrigerator should be well sealed, as ants know no boundaries here either.
If you are grilling on your balcony, you will need to clean up any leftover food that has fallen onto the floor. Store these with other waste in designated trash cans that can be easily locked. Disposing of trash daily is important to prevent ant infestations. Pay attention to the sealing of your joints and masonry openings. We recommend sealing these with silicone, construction foam and acrylic. This also prevents further influx. In this context, it is advisable to regularly check the tightness of window and door seals. You should also ventilate more often, as this prevents the ants from creating a comfortable climate.
However, if a so-called ant trail has already formed, the resulting pheromone trail must be thoroughly eliminated. This represents a kind of orientation aid for the ants. Removing this trace guarantees that the remedies we recommend will work reliably.
Ants are real farm animals
In principle, ants are very important for our ecosystem and some of them contribute to natural waste disposal. Other species of ants help spread seeds from many plants. This makes their reproduction possible. Ants also improve forest floors by causing logs to rot more quickly. By converting or building new nests, the soil is well mixed and ventilated. It is therefore important that the little creepy crawlies are not killed!
You can get rid of ants with the following home remedies
lemon juice
Lemon juice has many uses. It can actually drive away ants too. We recommend that you moisten the critical areas with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Alternatively, simply pour the juice onto a cloth and use it to wipe the floor and cupboard surfaces. The citric acid has a repellent effect on the small intruders and they flee.
Cucumber peels
Antsdrive outYou by placing cucumber peels where the little creepy crawlies appear most often. Cucumbers have a toxic effect on them and they run away.
Drive away ants with spices and essential oils
The scents of lavender, thyme, peppermint or sage have a repellent effect on ants. It is worth mentioning that strong smells generally drive ants away because their sense of orientation is disturbed and they suddenly flee. For this purpose, the spices are sprinkled in ground form on the affected areas.
You can also rub tiles or other smooth surfaces with diluted essential laurel or clove oil. It is important at this point to never use the oil in its purest form on furniture or plastic surfaces, otherwise damage can occur.
Vinegar
Vinegar is a true all-purpose household product and you can also use it to get rid of ants. This can be achieved in various ways. For example, you can pour a few spoonfuls of the acidic liquid directly onto the area where the ant infestation is. You also have the option of drizzling small crevices in the house and balcony areas with a mixture of vinegar and dishwashing liquid. Mix this together with a few spoonfuls of vinegar, dish soap and water. It is also suitable for mopping the floors, so cleanliness is guaranteed.
Cinnamon
Driving ants out of the house is particularly successful with essential cinnamon oil. For this purpose, simply apply the diluted cinnamon oil using cotton swabs to the areas where the ants are most common. Alternatively, you can also add half a liter of watertwo tablespoons of cinnamonDissolve and then add a few cloves. The resulting liquid is then placed in spray bottles. Now spray the affected areas. It is important that you shake the bottle vigorously before each use.
Baking soda and powdered sugar
Getting rid of ants naturally also works by using a 1 to 1 ratioBaking soda with powdered sugarmix. Then sprinkle the resulting powder mixture into the affected areas. After a few days, the little creepy crawlies have completely disappeared.
Get rid of ants from the balcony? – This is how it works
The first thing you should do is eliminate the causes of the influx of ants. The little creepy crawlies can be found not only on low floors, but also on higher floors. This is because some of them can grow wings. As soon as there is enough food available, they are able to found a colony.
If youDrive the ants away from your balconyIf you want to, it is important to retrace the ant trail. This will take you straight to the ant nest. Now we recommend the following trick: simply fill a flower pot with wood wool so that everything is completely stuffed. Then place the flower pot over the nest.
Usually the ants will leave the nest they have built and move it into the flower pot. You can then empty the flower pot in a garden. The ants then found their new home outdoors. But since they don't always respond to this method, you can try using the remedies listed here.
Sometimes ants have nowhere else to escape but into the apartment. As a last resort, you can therefore place poison bait on the balcony. These are freely available in drugstores. As a rule, common methods help to get rid of ants.
