Fight ants in the house / apartment

insects in the house are an unpleasant thing. Especially as soon as the animals appear en masse and cause considerable destruction. Ants in the house and in the apartment can make life difficult for us. Quick action is required for just a few copies. Even without the use of chemical agents, you can effectively eliminate or remove the ants. from your home.

useful information

Ants are indispensable helpers in nature. One of the most important properties of the cute crawlers is that they recycle plant and animal residues. In the garden, the insects arouse fascination and enthusiasm in the silent observer. In the house and in the apartment, however, it quickly turns into the opposite.

Almost nobody likes to have these insects in their own living quarters. They can quickly develop into a plague and cause massive damage. With simple means you will be able to fight the ants effectively.

Unwelcome roommates

Ants are indispensable in the garden and in the great outdoors. The little crawlers effectively contribute to the ecological balance. For example, the insects loosen up the soil with their extensive tunnel systems and thus promote the growth and resilience of plants. At the same time, ants ensure the spread of seeds and fungal spores. As pest killers, they keep unpleasant insects in the garden at bay.

Even rotting materials and carrion are disposed of quickly and efficiently by the hawkers. A few native species, such as the red wood ant, are strictly protected. Our native species of ants cannot be dangerous to humans. A bite causes minimal skin irritation in the majority of cases.

All the usefulness of the six-legged crawler is forgotten when the ant road does not lead through the front yard, but directly through the living room at home. In the kitchen or In the storage room, the insects then show their annoying side. Ingredients containing sugar and protein magically attract the hymenoptera. Once the scouts have discovered the delicacies, a few insects quickly become more. It is not just voraciousness that makes ants an annoying nuisance in the house. of the apartment. The crawlers can spread germs. For this reason, it is important to remove affected food immediately.

Quick action is the order of the day. If the animals feel comfortable in your apartment or house, it is difficult to get rid of them. Even a harsh winter cannot harm the ant population. In the following year at the latest you can watch the next generation of insects on their search for food.

Find the cause

It is understandable that hardly anyone wants to voluntarily share their living space with the small insects. Ants in the house or Fighting in the home is easy. Before you resort to effective means, you should first localize the access and find the reason for the massive infestation.

Leaky window and door seals are no real obstacle for ants looking for food. Porous masonry or other small openings are also an invitation for the little pests. If there is a heavy ant infestation, it is easy to find the entrance: follow the insects. With this method, you can find your destination and access at the same time.

The following has proven to be effective as a first measure against an infestation of ants in the house:

• seal holes and cracks with silicone, plaster of paris or clay
• Apply glue traps
• Immediately transfer open food into containers
• Wipe regularly with vinegar water

The last point is important to destroy the insect scent traces. This confuses the ants and can completely eliminate the pest infestation in the event of a weak occurrence. It is worthwhile to keep your eyes open even with individual animals. Mostly they are scouts who, in the event of a positive find, show the rest of the ant colony the way. Get rid of the animals before that happens.

In an apartment on the 1st On the 1st floor you will have to expect a visit from the birds less often than in living rooms on the ground floor. If you like to cook and bake with the window open, wipe away any sugary residue on the floor and the workplace immediately. This will prevent the ants from absorbing the weather in the garden.

Larders and storage cupboards can be made unattractive for the ants by consistently packing sugary foods. Use airtight containers for all open ingredients and dishes. An effective way to prevent other harmful insects from entering. Food moths and meal beetles are stored food pests and can cause enormous damage. Unlike ants, these insects are harder to control. The use of insecticides is almost inevitable here.

In addition to sweet food and drinks, open dog and cat food attracts ants in droves. This can be observed more often in the hot summer months, when the meat remains in the bowl for a long time. Only feed as much as your four-legged friend can eat in a few minutes. With domestic cats, this involves some work. In order to promote the metabolism and digestion of the house tiger, the fur noses have to eat regularly. Another possibility: Put the food bowls on an elevated position and put out a "barricade" for the annoying ants.

Effective home remedies

To avoid ants in the apartment or There are more or less aggressive means to fight in the house. First try mild measures to drive the annoying insects out of your four walls permanently. In a few cases, the animals are nonetheless numerous in the living rooms. In such a situation, you should resort to other methods. It is not uncommon for smaller ants to nestle permanently in a large cane of flowers. Because of this, check them all out Houseplants.

Pests on the plants can represent a potential target point for the 6-legged contemporaries. It is aphids that attract the ants through the honeydew. Both groups of insects enter into a kind of symbiosis. While the hymenoptera literally milk the cell sap-sucking pests, they also offer them protection from predators.

Here it is advisable to fight aphids and ants alike. If the houseplant tolerates it, you should carry out the measure outdoors. In this way you prevent the pests from spreading to other plants in the room and divert the ant route away from the living rooms. Literally there is talk of a diversion. The insects will quickly locate “their” aphids at the new location.

baking powder

An effective, albeit controversial, method of combating the annoying crawlers is to use baking soda. As in the oven, the powder swells in the ants' stomach, which inevitably leads to the death of the insects. An excruciating end, but it is an effective and pollutant-free solution.

• sprinkle the powder on the entrances
• combine baking soda with glue traps
• renew the barrier regularly

The only consolation: You will never be able to decimate a complete ant nest with the valuable baking ingredient alone. Only a few copies will die from the powder. This is usually enough for the ants to avoid the area in the future. Caution: Remove the "source" that the insects enter your home or home. the house beckons. If this is too attractive, the animals will quickly find another way to get there.

Deer horn salt

Staghorn salt works in a similar way to baking powder. The classic leavening agent for baked goods releases ammonia in ants. The insects die from toxic poisoning. For people and Pets completely harmless, you can apply the staghorn salt on the ant route. Be generous with the remedy so that the crawlers cannot find an alternative route.

Countermeasures

Fight against it with fragrance

Like almost all insects living in colonies, ants communicate through smells. As already mentioned, it is scouts who develop new sources of food and share what they find with their fellow species. Take advantage of that. Ants are sensitive to foreign smells. When used in a targeted manner, you can use it to drive the insects out of your living space.

Apply one of the following components liberally to the severely affected areas:

• Cinnamon powder
• Lemon or orange peel
• vinegar
• Dried cloves
• Tea tree oil

The scent of essential useful and medicinal plants can also confuse the insects' sense of smell. Place freshly harvested parts of these herbs on the ant route.

The following plants have proven themselves for this task:

• thyme
• Juniper leaves
• chervil
• Lemon herb
• Lemon balm
• peppermint
• Lavender flowers
• Bracken
• Coffee grounds

Take advantage of the ants' aversion to these herbs and plant the versatile plants in the garden. Alternatively, you can cultivate the plants on the windowsill. This is how you kill two birds with one stone: The ants stay away and you can enhance your dishes with fresh herbs.

In winter you should look out for strongly smelling oils such as lavender and peppermint, resort. The advantage of the natural fragrance components: The agents are not toxic to allergy sufferers, small children or pets. Ants are not harmed by this measure either, but are only driven away by the smell.

Coffee grounds are versatile. Freshly brewed, the powder conjures up a tasty drink. When used and dried, it releases a nutrient-rich fertilizer in the garden. When you have discovered the ants' access, you should apply a thick layer of the strong-smelling powder outside. Renew the barrier regularly. The advantage: You can sprinkle or sprinkle the old coffee grounds directly into the substrate of your plants. Dispose of with the compost.

Relocate the ant nest

Watching a colony of the little crawlers is fascinating. The insects move busily and carry loads that are many times greater than they are themselves. Ants are welcome in the garden. As soon as the animals, which are only a few millimeters in size, settle on the terrace or the wall of the house, caution is advised.

The way to the living quarters is not far. Porous walls of older buildings provide an ideal shelter for ants. Instead of chemical substances, you can resort to a tried and tested trick: relocate the entire nest. That works very well with a young or small population. All you need is a clay pot, wood wool, and patience.

• fill the wood wool in the container
• Put the entire vessel over the ant nest
• after a few days move the new home carefully into the garden

You can speed up the process by first exposing the old nest a few inches deep. You simulate the attack of a predator, the ants will try to bring their offspring to safety. The clay pot offers the insects warmth and a protected new habitat.

Chemical auxiliaries

insecticides

If closing the accesses and applying conventional home remedies does not work, you will have to resort to other methods. Insecticides can be helpful in keeping the ants at bay. Special contact poison is available from specialist retailers. The insects pick it up and carry it to their nest.

There it unfolds its full effect and decimates a large part of the ant population. Let yourself be adequately advised, because not every trap or every contact poison is suitable for every ant species. The agents are extremely toxic, children and pets should not come into contact with the traps. Put the bait in hard-to-reach places.

Biocides

A strong ants infestation in rented apartments and houses can lead to a rent reduction. Depending on the age and the strength of the nest, it can be difficult or even impossible to remove it using conventional means. In such a case, only a pest controller can help. It uses biocides to tackle ants and other pests. The exact procedure depends on the size of the living space and the number of pests. Do not reach for these toxins yourself. Improper use can lead to serious damage to health. The advantage of an "exterminator": After his mission you are rid of all annoying insects.