© NeilsPhotography (Flickr) Salivating Ant
© NeilsPhotography (Flickr)
Ant Problems in the Home
Having an ant problem is more common than you might think. Many people get ants in their home such as the black ant or the common sugar ants. While you can use ant poison or call someone for ant extermination, you can actually perform your own pest control by using a natural ant repellent.
Getting Rid of Ants
Getting rid of ants starts by using some preventative measures. The first thing you want to do is make sure that the ants have no reason to invade your home.
Measures :
This starts by keeping your home clean from leftover food. It doesn’t matter if it’s your food or leftover pet food – all of it can be desirable to ants.
Once you have made sure that your home is clean and that there is no spare food left out, you can now work on getting rid of any ants that are left. You can of course buy ant bait or ant traps, but there are some natural ways that can help get rid of them without worrying about poisoning your family or pets.
Corn meal is an excellent product to get rid of ants. The ants eat the corn meal and it makes their digestive areas swell, thus killing them. Since it’s a food product, it is safe to put it anywhere your home where ants may thrive.Another product is diatomaceous earth. This is a very fine powder with the consistency of talc. It is actually fossilized bones and it kills any insect with a hard shelled body by removing water from their systems. They eventually dry up and die.
Warning:
This powder should only be purchased in a food grade form because pool-grade DE powder is unsafe for pets and humans. Food grade quality is non-poisonous but care should be taken when breathing it. Always wear a mask and remove your pets from the area till the dust has settled.
Peppermint spray is another item that ants do not like. You can spray this around the house where ants like to go. This is a natural product that won’t harm anyone in your home.
These ways of getting rid of ants are natural measures that keep everyone safe and yet still get rid of ants in your home.