How to fight ants

Ants are among the most organized and cohesive insects in nature. Their entire activity is dedicated to serving their colony, which can range from a few dozen individuals to entire colonies occupying vast territories and consisting of several million individuals. It's terrifying to imagine such a multitude of nimble insects occupying a garden plot, house, or apartment! While many members of the ant family are undoubtedly beneficial to nature and, specifically, to gardens and vegetable patches, the damage caused by large numbers of these hymenopterous insects is also significant. They can destroy not only pests but also crops, flowers, shrubs, and even trees.

How do ant repellents work: do they repel or destroy?

First, it's important to determine how much damage these insects cause in each specific case. They can infest a house, a city apartment, a summer cottage, or a vegetable garden. The appropriate control method is selected based on the situation.

There are chemical and natural methods for controlling ants. From a safety standpoint, natural remedies are best used where the risk of harm to humans and pets must be completely eliminated. Only in this case we will not be talking about the complete destruction of insects, but only about repelling them from a specific area. But there are also more serious folk methods for killing insects (kerosene, etc.).

As for commercial chemical preparations, they are most often intended to destroy the majority of the ant colony, and first and foremost, the fertile queen.

A large number of ants in a garden plot poses a danger to the harvest, but a moderate number of them, on the contrary, is beneficial.

Let's look at the most popular means for fighting ants.

Chemicals

Chemicals are available in various forms:

• aerosols;
• gels;
• liquids;
• powders (dusts);
• crayons;
• traps.

This list ranks the medications in descending order of effectiveness. It's worth noting that their safety for humans and animals living near humans increases toward the end of the list. Therefore, we'll start with the safest medications.

Traps

The trap works by killing specific individuals trapped inside it, sensing a bait with an attractive odor and a lethal dose of poison. Thus, worker ants, which roam our territory in search of food for the queen, die after consuming the bait. The colony, however, remains intact, and the offspring continue to reproduce.

Some traps contain granules or powder with ant-attracting odors and long-acting poison. Such remedies are more effective, since the worker bees will bring the treat on their bodies and feed it to the queen, and only then will the poison begin to act.

Let's list the most popular names by which insect traps are known:

1. Raptor is a trap for garden ants (can also be used indoors).
2. Raid (Raid) — contains pellets with a toxic substance, heavy enough for the insect to drag them back to the nest to feed the queen. Therefore, using this trap for ant control is not advisable.
3. The Combat SuperAttack (Combat) is a Korean-made device. According to the manufacturer, complete insect elimination is achieved within three months, but in practice, it occurs much sooner: up to five weeks. Currently, this device is considered the most effective by users.

According to reviews, Combat is one of the most effective ant traps.

There are also poison-free traps. They contain a sticky substance that prevents insects from releasing their grip. These traps are ineffective, as they kill only a small number of worker bees, which has no effect on reproduction. The most well-known of these are:

• Trap;
• Tunnel;
• Clean house.

Crayons

The chalks contain insecticidal agents that kill insects. They are used to draw lines of varying thickness (1–2 cm) in areas where ants are active. The agent takes effect when an insect crosses the line, leaving traces of the chemical on its body.

The most well-known names of insecticidal chalks:

1. Mashenka – contains two toxic substances. According to consumers, it is the best in this series.
2. Clean House - contains a highly toxic substance. Applied in stripes 3-5 cm wide, the package is designed to treat an area of ​​up to 20 m2.².
3. Tornado has a nerve agent effect and is sensitive to light.
4. The brownie beetle contains a highly effective toxin. It is resistant to ultraviolet radiation and high temperatures.
5. Titanic contains two highly toxic poisons. All safety precautions must be observed: work only with gloves; after the time period specified in the instructions for extermination of insects has elapsed (approximately two months), clean the surfaces of chalk residue and treat them with a soda solution.
6. Euroguard is used against various insects. It is effective when applied in wide stripes (up to 4 cm). The effect lasts for a month.

The places where ants move actively, which are most often located near the baseboards around the perimeter of the room, are treated with chalk against ants.

When using insecticidal chalks, several repeated treatments of surfaces are required after the action time of the product has elapsed.

Dusts

Powders, which also contain toxic substances, act in a similar way to crayons. They can be sprinkled in places where ants move, made into bait, or diluted in water to create toxic liquids.

Here are the main ones:

1. K-otrin VG 250 affects the nervous system of insects 15 minutes after the start of exposure.
2. Green House contains two toxic substances: the pyrethroid cypermethrin and sumithion. Consumption: 3 g/m².
3. BAF is highly toxic. Treatment should be performed wearing a protective mask and gloves. Effective for 4-6 weeks. It is so effective that one treatment is enough. However, if necessary, the effect can be repeated.
4. Pyrethrum contains dried and crushed Caucasian chamomile flowers. It is used to repel house ants. It is only effective when freshly harvested.
5. BROS is available in powder form and is used to kill ants indoors. When dissolved in water, it can be used outdoors, spraying areas where anthills are located.
6. Delicia is available as a powder or solution. In the first case, the toxic mixture is sprinkled along insect paths, while in the second case, the solution diluted in water is sprayed over anthills. The first method is preferable, as it will kill more ants and the queen. In the second case, only those ants caught in the spray will be killed.
7. Fas dubl is extremely toxic. When using it, it is better to leave the treated area for several days, and then thoroughly wash all open surfaces with a soda solution. The drug can be left in places inaccessible to children and animals for 2–3 months.

Insecticidal powders against ants are highly effective.

Video: Using Anti-Ant Powder

Liquids

Such preparations are obtained from special powders by diluting them in water or prepared from an aqueous emulsion.

The most popular of them are:

1. Muracid is available as an aqueous emulsion. Dilute one 10 ml ampoule per bucket of water (10 liters). Add one liter to each nest. Effects are observed within 24 hours. The product completely destroys all ants and the queen. Use only personal protective equipment (PPE): rubber gloves and a mask. If the product comes into contact with skin or mucous membranes, be sure to wash your body and face with soap and rinse your mouth.
2. Anteater. Available in powder and liquid form. It has a nerve-paralytic effect. When applied to the insect's body or ingested, it is absorbed into the bloodstream, inhibiting nerve impulses from the brain to the muscles. After a while, the ant begins to convulse, leading to complete paralysis, ultimately resulting in death. It has no effect on humans or animals. The manufacturer recommends against using it near water, as it is hazardous to fish. Rubber gloves should be worn when handling the product.
3. KLAUS (Dr. Klaus). Used in garden plots and indoors. It works by infecting ants within the spray zone with a nerve agent. Infected ants carry the toxic substance and become a source of death for other ants and the queen.
4. Help. It's available as an emulsion for dissolution in water. It attacks the insects' nervous system, causing paralysis over time.
5. Borax (sodium salt of boric acid, sodium tetraborate). Prepare a solution by mixing 1 teaspoon of 20% borax with a glass of water and a few drops of honey or jam. Pour the resulting solution into shallow containers and place them in areas where pests move.

If there are a lot of ants and no means help to get rid of them, then it is better to resort to the services of specialized services that carry out comprehensive insect control treatment.

Gels

Gels, applied in droplets or dotted lines to the insects' movement sites, are considered more effective in controlling ants. This product is only used indoors.

The most popular insecticidal gels:

1. Absolute. The active ingredient is chlorpyrifos. When it enters an insect's body, it poisons it. A dead insect becomes a source of death for the rest of the nest's inhabitants.
2. Anteater. The effect is similar to the previous one. The insect dies within ten minutes. Safe for people, animals, and birds.
3. Euroguard. Available in a syringe for easy application to surfaces. People do not have to leave the room during treatment.
4. Dohloks. A highly effective gel that kills most ants within eight hours.
5. A great warrior. Suitable for ant control both indoors and outdoors. Apply strips of gel approximately 2 cm long around the perimeter of the room, spaced 6 cm apart. If using outdoors, apply the product in dots or stripes to cardboard or tree trunks. Ants disappear within a few days.
6. Globol (manufactured in Germany) has a chocolate aroma that quickly attracts ants. The effect is noticeable within the first 24 hours. The effect lasts for several weeks, after which a repeat treatment is necessary for reliability. The gel should be applied in strips up to 15 cm long onto paper pads, which should be placed in areas where the insects move. It is important to keep the bait away from children and pets. This gel is considered the most effective by consumers.

Aerosols

The final, most effective form of insecticide for ant control is aerosols. They should be used only after other methods have been tested, as they are the most difficult to use and require the removal of all living creatures from the area being treated (except, of course, those to be killed). They are highly toxic. When spraying aerosols, wear personal protective equipment: rubber gloves, a respirator, and safety glasses.

A prerequisite for achieving the effect is direct impact on the nest in which the queen and growing offspring are located.

Here are the most well-known and effective aerosols for killing house and garden ants:

• Raptor;
• Combatant;
• Karbofos;
• Microphos.

Folk remedies for ants

Along with chemicals, which can cause serious harm to yourself and others, you can use folk remedies to combat ants.

They are most conveniently used outdoors, in the garden. Garden ants living there are harmful because they breed aphids to feed their colonies, spreading their larvae to all the young plants in the garden, thus destroying the harvest. However, these insects can be driven away or completely destroyed. The right product should be selected depending on the purpose.

There are many folk remedies for ant control, but not all of them are as effective as commercial chemicals.

For destruction

There are the following preparations for killing ants:

1. Ammonia solution. Locate the anthill, remove some of the topsoil, and pour a solution of 50 ml of ammonia per 1 liter of water over the insects' nest.
2. Urine. A similar effect occurs with human urine, as it also contains ammonia, although not in the same quantities as ammonia. Therefore, it is less effective.
3. Kerosene. Dissolve 10 tablespoons of kerosene in 10 liters of water. Pour this solution over the anthill.
4. Millet. Slowly pour water through a hole made in the ground around the anthill for half an hour, then sprinkle the surface generously with millet and cover with dark film.

Video: How to use ammonia to kill garden ants

To scare away

To repel them, plants or substances with a strong odor that is unpleasant to ants are used:

1. Carbolic acid. Soak a piece of cloth in this liquid and place it on the anthill or wrap it around the trunks of trees and shrubs.
2. Garlic and onions. Place garlic shoots or cloves near anthills and along insect paths.
3. Mint. Plant it in the garden and vegetable patch around the perimeter of plantings, between trees and bushes.
4. Marigolds. They should be sown in the soil between rows, near fruit trees and bushes.

Crushed or whole leaves of certain plants are placed in areas where insects move. You can use:

• bay leaf;
• tansy;
• parsley;
• anise;
• mustard;
• valerian;
• cloves.

To get rid of insects in the house and apartment, repellent plants and substances are also used:

• bay leaf;
• garlic;
• turpentine;
• kerosene;
• sunflower oil.

Bay leaves are placed in close proximity to the food items where insects are found, and all other products are used to rub the ants' paths.

Video: A selection of ways to combat ants

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Kei7apVeNjM

Ultrasonic repellers

These devices occupy a special place among ant repellents. Manufacturers of ultrasonic repellents claim their effectiveness. However, according to numerous user reviews, these devices have no effect on ants. Most likely, insects do not react to ultrasound because they lack an organ that detects it, similar to the one found in bats.

Therefore, we will not recommend the use of ultrasonic devices to repel ants.

Reviews

After distributing the Great Warrior gel as directed on the package, after a while the ants scatter in terror—they simply disappear! Ants are friendly creatures, and the gel is designed to destroy the entire colony, and in a short time. You might think I'm being inhumane, but I feel more at peace without ants.

Let me tell you about the "Fas-Dubl" product for killing ants, cockroaches, bedbugs, fleas, and flies. I've been infesting my kitchen with ants, and I have no idea what to do about them. I bought this product at the "Sad-Ogorod" store. I treated everything as instructed. I punched holes in the designated area, which is shown on the package. I put on rubber gloves, covered my face with a cotton-gauze bandage, and put all food items—cups, spoons, and bowls—away, as detailed in the instructions on the back of the package. I thoroughly treated every place I could get to. I don't know how long it will take for any survivors to appear. I hope it won't be anytime soon.

Moving into a new apartment was marred by the presence of uninvited guests. Tiny ants. At first, I didn't pay much attention to them, thinking that getting rid of them would be easy. I was very wrong. They were everywhere. In the kitchen, the bathroom, the toilet, the nursery, and even on the balcony. I tried everything. All sorts of folk remedies, creams from the local store. But they didn't last long. A week at most. Then they returned with renewed vigor. And finally, I came across an article that described Conbat Super Spray in detail. I bought it. The spray should be used when no one is home. We made sure to leave after spraying and isolate the animals. The spray is suitable for killing all insects that make our lives worse: cockroaches, bedbugs, ticks, ants, etc. I used it again a month later as a preventative measure. For the third year now I have not seen these insects in my home.

Like a fool, she read too much and scattered some millet. Oh, they'll go away, just wait! It would have been better to give it to the chickens. But instead, it lay there and got moldy in the garden bed, the cabbage probably rotted by now, and the ants still live under it.

An old, tried-and-true method that works 100%. If you're in a high-rise building, you need to work together to exterminate them. Call in specially trained people, and they'll treat everything, starting with the courtyard and continuing on to the basement, ventilation, attic, and so on. Only then will they disappear. Anything else is like a poultice for a dead person. The same goes for cockroaches, mosquitoes, and so on.

We've reviewed the main methods for controlling garden and house ants, learning about the effectiveness of chemicals, folk remedies, and ultrasonic repellents. The choice of which to use is entirely up to you. But remember, nature is harmonious, and radically removing an entire link—garden ants—from it means causing significant damage.