They don’t always cause immediate harm, but their effects can accumulate over time and lead to complications down the road. It’s also simply annoying and unsettling to find ants crawling around your kitchen or bathroom all the time. While the likelihood that they attack is greater during Melbourne’s warmer months, the problem is still avoidable when you know what attracts them in the first place (and then actively avoid these things). Identifying
your risk factors is the first step in domestic pest control, followed by the utilisation of ant control services if needed. These are some of the top attraction factors for ants. Avoid them if you want to keep your home free of ants all year long. This list is no doubt overwhelming, but the possibility of ants in your home doesn’t need to be. Take these steps to combat ant invasions in your Melbourne home. If you have ants on or near your property, Dawson’s Pest Control can exterminate them in the long term. Call us to learn more about our range of ant control services. icon-export Request a Quote icon-export Request a Quote Now!We offer quick same day service! icon-export Request a Call BackHave an enquiry? Leave us your details and we’ll call you back during business hours. While ants are fascinating creatures that play an important ecological role through soil aeration and organic recycling, they are not something you want trudging through your home. The typical garden or black ant in the UK live in colonies dominated by the queen ant dedicated to egg production, which can live for up to thirty years. As the weather starts to warm up in spring, the worker ants that make up the vast majority of the colony begin to forage for food. Initially just a few scouts will leave the nest on this errand, yet this is the starting point of potential problems with ants intruding into houses. What attracts ants inside the home?When ants forage for food nowhere is out of bounds in their quest. They will scavenge a wide range of foods, but have a particular liking for sugary substances. This is where the home becomes vulnerable, as anything from a small spillage of juice to a slice of cake left on the side will attract ants. It does not take much sugar content to bring them in. While foraging, an ant also leaves a scent trail that not only helps them find their way back to the nest, but also helps other foragers follow the trail in the other direction. So the sight of a single ant in the house can be the prelude to many more visitors. How do ants get into the home?By the very nature of their size ants do not need much of a gap to be able to get into a house for food or just to shelter. Apart from if you have left the back door open, ants will get in through slight cracks in the foundation, gaps under the doors, or poorly sealed windows. It is extremely difficult to keep ants out, but some general maintenance such as sealing cracks and crevices in doors and window frames at least reduces some of the entry points. The best way to keep them out though is to try to eliminate the causes that attract them in the first place. Preventing an ant invasionPreventative means are probably the best way to stop ants intruding into the home. Keeping a clean house, cleaning up any spills straight away, and cleaning down food preparation areas will help. Remove any rotten fruit or vegetables, and keep sugar based products such as jams and cakes out of reach in sealed containers. Natural products such as salt, turmeric powder or paprika sprinkled around known points of entry can deter ants. Once the ants are inside, however, scooping them up and putting them out, or killing them on the spot, will unlikely put an end to more visitors coming due to the scent trails already laid. However you choose to remove the ants, the area where they have been will need to be cleaned thoroughly with a strong soap or window cleaner to remove the scent trail. Household insecticides can be applied around the entry points, and also around the nest in the garden if located. Yet with the sheer quantity of ants and the low dosages of these insecticides this may well prove to be a short term solution. For serious ant problems, a professional pest controller should be used. FAQs: Are ants harmful?Are ants harmful?Ants that reside in the UK are pretty much harmless. Ants that are found in the garden or black in colour will not bite and do not carry disease. However, ants that have found their way into your home may have journeyed through grimy places and can spread contamination throughout your living areas. Are ants dangerous?Ants in the UK are not seen as a threat and can, in fact, kill other pests such as flies and fleas. Are ants dirty?Because ants do not come alone and travel in their masses, they can find their way into the smallest of spaces and although ants are generally not dirty, their bodies can pick up dirt along the way. Are ants poisonous?Ants found in the UK are not poisonous. They may bite and sting but they are harmless to humans. Which ants are dangerous?Types of dangerous ants across the world include:
Why ants are bad?Ants can ruin the foundations of a home and cause a lot of damage. FAQs: Why are ants in my house/bathroom/kitchen?Why ants are everywhere?Ants are attracted to any type of food source, so if your kitchen tops are dirty or there’s ready available fruit, sweets or crumbs – they will find their way to it. Ant colonies can
consist of thousands or millions of tiny ants, which is why they seem to be everywhere, once you’ve found your first ant. Where do ants come from?Ants are on a constant search for a good food source. Where do ants enter the house?Ants can enter your home in various ways including under slabs, through cracks and floorboards. How to find the source of antsWatch the ant trail and follow the direction they are coming from to find out where they are entering your home. FAQs: Which ants do I have in my house?Which ants do I have in my house?If you have ants in your home, the chances are they are Carpenter Ants, Pavement Ants, Thief Ants or Odorous House Ants. These are all home-dwellers that enjoy the food supply that’s kept within the home. Which ants do I have?
FAQs: How to get rid of antsHow to kill ants without poison
How to kill ants without Borax or other chemicalsOr, how to kill ants without harming pets:
Pest Defence are experts in providing safe, efficient solutions to your pest problems, including invasions of ants and other insects. If you would like to know more about what we do, please feel free to get in touch with us today. Why do I suddenly have ants in my house?Why do ants suddenly appear in the house? Ants may suddenly appear in the house because they are on the hunt for food, water or shelter. Ants forage for food in spring and summer months, sending out search parties that and will scavenge for anything they can find.
How do I find where ants are coming from?Use your flashlight to look for ants behind or under refrigerators, stoves, microwaves, dishwashers, sinks, and cabinets. Ants may also be found in or around floor drains, inside the motor areas of refrigerators and microwaves, behind wall paper, and in cracks and crevices in cabinets and around walls.
How do you get rid of ants inside the house?White vinegar, available at all grocery stores, is a cheap and effective way to kill and repel ants. It is also a natural cleaning agent. Try using a 1-to-1 vinegar/water mixture to clean hard surfaces, including floors and countertops, wherever ants are likely to travel.
What are ants attracted to the most?The number one food that attracts ants is sugar. Unfortunately, sugar is found in most foods and beverages. They love to feast on drinks that contain high fructose corn syrup and other sweet smelling foods. Food crumbs and spills are especially productive for the ants' well-being.
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