A person’s proximity to insects is not always pleasant, including ants, which cause great harm both in the house and in the garden. The question is what means to use for effective control, quick destruction, and prevention of repeated invasions of small pests.
Traditional methods have long been known and are still successfully used in the fight against harmful ants. And any hardware or gardening store offers a huge range of ready-made preparations and devices. We present a rating of quality ant repellents in 2022, based on customer reviews.
Why are ants dangerous in an apartment?
Ants can bring with them fungus, mold, harmful microorganisms, viral infections, and some types of helminths. In addition, they destroy household items and lay claim to human-grown food and crops.
It is recommended to destroy ant colonies that appear on the farm when they are detected. Postponing this issue for a long time can lead to disastrous consequences - it will be more and more difficult to get rid of them.
Folk remedies and various chemicals, of which there are plenty on the market, will come to the rescue here. It is recommended to give preference to familiar and proven means. If you do not deal with the problem in time, you will have to resort to the help of a professional exterminator.
2 additional ways to combat ants on your property
There are a great many ways to combat the ubiquitous ants, with varying effectiveness and demand. Recently, adherents of natural farming, as well as simple gardeners and summer residents, have been trying not to abuse chemicals, but to use safe means and methods.
Fragrant plants
You can prevent ants from invading your own garden by cultivating certain plants that have a characteristic odor that is unpleasant to insects. Since their sense of smell is very subtle, they try not to get too close to the odor source.
Instructions:
- We observe and mark the most vulnerable areas of the garden, where ants most like to settle.
- In the spring we plant repellent herbs: mint, anise, parsley, dill, thyme, oregano, etc.
- These parasites really don’t like the proximity of tansy, lavender and wormwood. They are also afraid of garlic.
- You can wrap tree trunks with bunches of fragrant greenery or tomato tops.
- The anthill will gradually become empty and its inhabitants will never return there again.
A packet of seeds of any herb costs no more than 50 rubles.
Boiling water
Simple hot water heated to a boil helps to radically, but at the same time effectively get rid of fussy and harmful neighbors. In this case, all pests are simply welded and die from high temperature. Boiling water is used only to destroy anthills directly
The procedure is as follows:
- Thoroughly stir up the nest so that eggs and larvae are outside.
- They pour boiling water generously over the entire populated area, trying to pour it into vertical holes and passages.
- Cover the top with a piece of thick film or roofing felt so that the liquid remains hot for a long time. At the same time, the heat inside the nest lasts longer.
- After 2-3 days the manipulations are repeated.
- If not all individuals have disappeared, then the procedure will have to be done again.
Boiling water cannot be used where cultivated plants grow, as they will also die. It is ideal to shed paths, paths, empty areas, etc.
Where do ants come from?
There are only two ways for ants to enter a human home. They can be brought by guests or animals, or they can get into the house themselves from basements, porches and trash cans.
Undoubtedly, the place where a person lives is very attractive to pests. It's warm here, you can always find food and water. During the cold season, there may be more ants, and this is easily explained.
It is better to look for nests in dark and damp places, which can be found in sufficient quantities in the kitchen and bathroom. Typically, they are located under the floor covering.
Ants may appear in the house for the following reasons:
- If the owners regularly leave leftover food on the table
- The trash can is rarely taken out
- Increased humidity in rooms
- Cracks in the floor and walls
- Easy access through ventilation windows.
Ant
The Russian insecticide is designed to kill black garden ants. The effective formula of the drug protects crops and flower beds from pests throughout the season. The drug has a nerve-paralytic effect. Treatment is carried out in stages (at least 2 times) until a stable result is achieved.
Characteristics:
- composition – diazinon 50g/kg, food additives for bait, surfactants;
- form – powder wetted with water;
- purpose – broad-spectrum insecticide against garden ants;
- the smell is specific, pungent, completely disappears after treatment;
- safety – class 3 (moderately dangerous for people);
- method of application - the drug is applied to the soil in dry, windless weather in the mornings or evenings, the temperature should not exceed 25°C. In places where ants accumulate, the earth is loosened and the product is poured at the rate of 3 grams per 1 m².
Phytosafe Ant is used only for treating local areas. It cannot be used in houses and apartments due to its high toxicity. But the treated area becomes a barrier to entry into the house. Carry out the treatment wearing personal protective equipment. The cost of the drug 10 grams is 30 rubles.
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Folk remedies for ants
Products without the use of complex chemical compounds are preferable. They are safe for children and animals, and are also simple and cheap. They do not always help the first time: you will have to work a little for their use to give the expected effect.
Barrier protection
This method is preventative. It is used in cases where it is necessary to protect the home from the initial or reappearance of insects.
A protective barrier can be:
- Spices (turmeric, cinnamon, pepper)
- Essential oil of citrus plants
- Vaseline oil
- Products containing talc
- Detergents, such as laundry detergent
The width of the barrier should be very small - up to 6-7 mm. It must also be continuous.
Repelling with unpleasant odors
The odors used to repel are unpleasant, of course, only for ants. They cannot stand the strong aromas that come from vinegar, cloves, unrefined vegetable oil, citrus fruits, wormwood, elderberry, garlic, chamomile, mint, and parsley.
Ants' travel routes are quite predictable; they follow the same "ant paths" from the food source to the nest and back. Having lost the scent of their path, the ants will not be able to correctly navigate in space, so they will have to look for new paths - perhaps already on the street.
Lures and traps
Sometimes it is difficult to establish the movement paths of ants or it can be inconvenient to handle them. Then the means that have been known since ancient times and give a very good effect - baits and traps - will come to the rescue.
Lures with boric acid are known to give excellent results. Boric acid destroys the body structures of ants, leading to respiratory arrest. There are several ways to create such traps:
- Boric acid combines with granulated sugar and is distributed in areas where ants feed
- The acid is mixed with boiled egg yolk or raw minced meat
- Sweet baits made from a mixture of boric acid and jam, honey, sugar syrup.
You can also build simple traps from a container with a sweet solution, where the ants will fall, or double-sided tape with a drop of bait, the ants will simply stick to such a trap.
However, it is worth keeping in mind that such traps only destroy worker ants. This method does not harm the colony itself; to do this, you need to destroy the nest itself or force them to leave.
Chemical means to combat ants
Of course, insecticides deal with insects quickly and effectively. In this case, the number of insects destroyed does not matter. When folk remedies do not show sufficient effectiveness, chemical ones provide a pronounced and lasting effect.
However, keep the following points in mind when choosing a chemical:
- The product must be harmless to people and animals
- Chemical form that is more suitable for the conditions (powders, gels, aerosols, etc.)
- How effective is the insecticide?
- Price
Ant control chemicals are available in the form of gels, aerosols, powders, crayons and pencils.
It should be remembered that the use of even the most non-toxic chemicals requires the use of special protective equipment and compliance with safety rules:
- Before use, be sure to read the instructions
- Hands must be protected with gloves, respiratory organs and eyes - with special masks, respirators, goggles
- The chemical should not come into contact with the skin.
- If skin contact does occur, rinse with clean water.
- After applying insecticide, you need to wash your hands with soap and water.
- All chemicals must be stored in places where children and animals cannot reach them.
- It is better to ventilate the room after treatment.
Insecticidal aerosols
If you are looking for the best ant repellent, try a spray. Its effectiveness and instant action are explained by the fact that an ant caught in a cloud of spray simply will not be able to avoid poisoning. Poisons will enter his body along with the air and lead to quick death.
For all their effectiveness, aerosol insecticides do not pose a danger to human health. The composition of most of them is absolutely safe. However, when using an aerosol, you should take standard safety precautions - wear a respirator and rubber gloves. In stores you will find many different products. Here are just a few of them.
Raptor for crawling insects
Spray "Raptor" can safely be called the most famous. Its main active ingredients are deltamethrin, cypermethrin and piperonyl butoxide. The aerosol has a pleasant mint aroma and does not leave behind the terrible odor characteristic of many insecticides.
Review
Tatyana: “I have been looking for a good remedy for red ants for a long time. I settled on the Raptor spray - it was highly praised. It turned out that it was not in vain! One can was more than enough for the whole house. It’s very convenient to use, the results are quick, it doesn’t smell like anything, and it doesn’t leave any marks.”
Get spray concentrate
“Get” is a powerful microencapsulated insecticide against ants in the apartment. The principle of its operation is somewhat different from the usual standards - microcapsules are dissolved in liquid, then all necessary surfaces are wiped with this active liquid. An insect running over such a surface will collect particles of poison on its paws. Having penetrated the body, they will cause inevitable death. Per 100 sq. m of contaminated area, one capsule of concentrate is consumed.
The concentrated preparation “Get” will quickly and effectively rid you not only of ants, but also of all other harmful insects
Important! To get the maximum effect, surfaces treated with “Get” gel should not be washed for several days.
Review
Miroslava: “I used Get aerosol – it’s a very powerful product. I sprayed the entire floor - after half an hour it was strewn with dead insects. I’m very pleased, especially since they haven’t appeared since that day.”
Combat
Another very good product from the famous Korean brand is produced in two versions - with mint and lemon aroma, thanks to which its use becomes even more comfortable.
Review
Yuri: “In the store, we spent a long time deciding which ant spray was trustworthy. We settled on Kombat, although we had never heard anything about it before. The kitchen was sanitized twice and a week's break was taken. In principle, one time was enough, but for prevention they decided to carry out a second treatment. You won't believe it, but the ants fled to the neighbors. We also recommended this spray to them.”
Clean house
It has an instant effect - insects die right before your eyes! The Clean House aerosol is used not only against ants, but also against cockroaches, wasps and moths. To treat a room of 25-30 square meters. m. you will need a small can of spray (600 ml).
Review:
Nina: “I didn’t believe that this aerosol had an instant effect, but that’s exactly what it turned out to be. The ants scattered in all directions, but most simply died. If anyone needs a quick and reliable solution, then it’s only Clean House.”
Repelling ants with ultrasound
Not long ago, devices appeared on the market that use ultrasonic waves to repel pests. However, consumers are not very familiar with them, so this method of control is not yet widespread enough.
- The repeller is a small device that runs on mains or batteries. It produces ultrasonic waves that are indistinguishable to the human ear, but which insects can hear very well. The waves literally destroy their nervous system.
- Repellers should not be turned on in rooms where there are sleeping people. They can also affect pets, so you need to carefully monitor their behavior.
Solfisan
A universal insectoacaricide produced in Russia has shown high effectiveness against red ants. The unique composition of the drug does not cause resistance in insects and is safe for people, pets and the environment. Solfisan has a nerve-paralytic effect. Ants die within 1-2 hours after direct contact, hidden nests are destroyed in the next 24 hours.
Basic properties:
- composition – Cyfluthrin 5% (insecticide of the pyrethroid group);
- form – concentrated water-soluble emulsion;
- purpose – broad-spectrum insectoacaricide;
- the smell is neutral, disappears within 30-60 minutes after treatment;
- safety for people and the environment - class 3 (moderately dangerous, requires careful handling);
- Method of application – dissolve 2-10 ml of emulsion in 1 liter of water, spray along migration routes, possible places of accumulation and nesting of ants.
The main advantages of Solfisan: long residual effect, immediate action, safety for people and pets, economical consumption, the ability to use in homes where allergy sufferers, elderly people, and small children live. The cost of 100 ml of the product is 550 rubles.
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Photos of the best remedies for ants in the apartment
Calling an exterminator
The most effective way to get rid of ants in an apartment is to invite a special insecticidal service. Exterminators are equipped with the best equipment and use professional killing chemicals. Employees of insecticidal services know how to properly dilute such preparations and how to treat the premises with them. A person without professional training cannot use such poisons.
Prevention of occurrence
Once you get rid of the ants, the only thing left to do is prevent them from coming back. It is much easier to carry out prevention than to try to eradicate them for a long time, when a whole colony has already settled in the house. Precautionary measures:
- Purity. You cannot leave food, crumbs, or dirty dishes in the kitchen.
- Regular wet cleaning.
- Closed packaging of cereals and sugar.
- Timely removal of garbage.
- Clogging the cracks leading to the street.
- Systematic treatment of doors and ventilation ducts with insecticides.
Traps
Traps are either sticky or poisonous. This is an effective remedy if chosen correctly.
Sticky tape will help eliminate ants from your home, but the process can take many months. These devices resemble a trap: the insect dies, but the queen remains unharmed and continues to lay eggs.
An ant trap with poison smells pleasant, attracting a lone victim. The individual tramples on the poison and infects all the inhabitants of the anthill, including its queen.
Combat SuperAttack trap against ants. Branded insecticide causes epidemic in insect colonies
The success is due not so much to the device itself as to its location. The place must be passable. Successful options:
- space near the baseboard;
- near the trash can;
- behind the kitchen set;
- in ventilation;
- in the pantry;
- near the garbage chute.
Of course, an ant trail is also suitable. Insects move in a line; you can stop the procession with a trap.
Pest control
This method has to be resorted to when all other attempts to get rid of pests have failed. This happens when the nest is not found, and they appear again.
Professional pest control of ants
Specialists will carry out disinfestation with special chemicals that are more toxic than household chemicals, which will definitely help destroy the ants. But during disinfestation you will have to leave your apartment or house for several days.
When living in an apartment building, it is better to carry out this procedure simultaneously with your neighbors, since ants can migrate to them and return later again. In addition, the cost of calling exterminators will be cheaper.
