With the appearance of the sun, we can notice that the apartment has been occupied by red ants. They prefer damp places, bathrooms, toilets, kitchens, where it is constantly warm and there is water. They do not disdain anything: they crawl around, spreading infections through trash cans, cabinets where there is food, as well as with bed linen, between books and sheets. They really like the smell of sweat and blood, they crawl into wounds.
If you decide to find the nest, don’t try, you’ll have to tear off all the tiles and baseboards and the result will be zero. Just because they have trails everywhere doesn't mean the nest is somewhere nearby. In large quantities, acid causes poisoning, and 4 grams for an ant is the amount that can destroy it.
Ants appear in every apartment or house. It is difficult to remove the nest even with expensive drugs. They hide nests in places where it is difficult to get to. It is not difficult to track where the nest is; they move in a chain. To kill insects, you need to kill the queen. Each family has worker ants, whose responsibility is to feed the larvae and the queen, who only lays eggs for new offspring.
What is the effectiveness of boric acid against ants
Boric acid has antiseptic properties, but an overdose leads to accumulation in the kidneys. This drug was used in the 50s to disinfect wounds. Today it is produced, but analogues have appeared. This acid paralyzes the nervous system of the ants, resulting in death. Small grains stick to the paws and when removed and consumed, death occurs. With its help, you can destroy a nest without even knowing its location.
But boric acid has one more feature. It works even in the dead bodies of ants. Ants feed on everything, even their own relatives. By eating their relatives, they also become infected, and extinction occurs, as a result of which the population disappears.
Methods of using boric acid in the fight against cockroaches
But to get rid of this infection, there are many ancient recipes using boric acid, and here are some of the few.
How does the substance affect ants?
To begin with, it should be noted that boric acid is available in the form of a powder or solution and is sold in pharmacies. The drug is inexpensive, but copes well with insect intoxication. The substance has no odor and dissolves well in water.
The acid has a contact-intestinal effect on ants. It is capable of destroying an insect, even if it simply ends up on its cover and does not enter the digestive tract. The components of the substance are able to penetrate the body through the chitinous shell and corrode the walls of the pest’s organs. If it enters the stomach, the product causes severe intoxication, dehydration and paralysis of the body. No matter how boric acid gets into the ant's organ systems, it will die over time.
A few crystals of the substance hidden in a fragrant bait can infect an entire colony if they enter their lair as a tasty-smelling trophy brought by a prey ant. Also, the possibility of infection of the colony appears if the poisoned individual dies and is eaten by relatives.
Even a minimal amount of boric acid entering the body can cause sterilization of both the female and the male ant, which will ultimately lead to the destruction of the genus.
Effective ways to kill ants
- To kill ants, a mixture of 1 part fresh brewer's yeast and 4 parts honey (it can be replaced with thick sugar syrup), 1 part boric acid. Place the resulting mass on plates wherever the ants appear. The latter feast on the sweet mixture and quickly die from the action of boric acid and brewer's yeast.
- The presence of ants in residential areas is highly undesirable. The surest way to get rid of them is to use boric acid and naphthalene. Lumps of cotton wool are impregnated with substances and laid out in different corners of the room. The ants will quickly disappear.
- In the above rooms, place a cup with kerosene and boric acid and add fresh oil from time to time.
- I recommend making a mixture of honey, boric acid and tartar emetic. The mixture is poured into plates (you can also place rags and sponges soaked in it) and placed wherever ants appear. The sweet liquid attracts ants, and they die from the action of boric acid.
- Many means have been invented to exterminate ants in homes, but not all of them achieve their goal. Experience has proven that if insects have grown in large numbers and it is necessary to resort to drastic measures, mix sulfur, wild marjoram, boric acid (all in powder) and fill the cracks where the ants live. In the cabinets where food is stored, acid, sugar and potash are mixed.
These methods are very old, they were used in 1900, but they are still effective. Today, people have come up with methods of fighting ants, also based on boric acid.
Causes, prevention and methods of dealing with red ants at home
Consider the following methods of destruction.
- Mix 3 egg yolks and 1 tablespoon honey. Mix all this with 3 g of boric acid. Roll small balls and place them in habitats or paths.
- 30 grams of sugar, 8-10 grams of honey and 4 grams of acid. Pour 4 grams of acid into a glass and fill it with warm water, add all the ingredients there. Pour into bowls and place in cupboards and next to trash cans.
- Boil 3 yolks and 3 potatoes, mix with 40 grams of sugar and 12 grams of honey, 4 grams of boric acid. Make balls and place them in areas of travel paths. Change as it dries or during the moon.
- Well, if the ants have multiplied, a meat recipe will do. Mix 3 tablespoons of minced meat with 3 grams of boric acid and add 2 tablespoons of minced fish. Fashion any shapes and place them in areas with large populations. This is a very effective method of removal.
User reviews on the results of using the product
Everyone who has tested the effect of boric acid on ants in action leaves mostly positive reviews. Many note that the product copes with the destruction of insects not only in apartments, but also in personal plots. Most housewives are very pleased with the result, noting that the complete destruction of the entire colony is carried out in about 30 days.
Rarely, but still there are negative reviews, which are based on the fact that ants do not touch treats mixed with boric acid. Perhaps in this case the recipe is violated and the poison content in the bait is simply exceeded, which leads to a negative result.
Boric acid has proven to be an effective means of killing ants. You can use the substance either in its pure form, scattering it in places where ants gather, or preparing aromatic baits for further transportation by the poison-delivering ants to the nest. The product works both in apartments or houses, and outdoors, for example, in a garden or vegetable garden.
Prevention at home
- Clean the house, take care of the trash can.
- Keep the table clean and do not leave crumbs or food behind.
- Keeping the bags tightly closed is what interests the ants most.
- Always take out the trash.
- If you have an animal at home, do not leave food in the cup all the time.
An important factor in exterminating ants is that the entire entrance or house must be eliminated. If there are a lot of ant families, then they will eventually come to you. Of course, you can use expensive insecticides, but they evaporate, which can lead to poisoning, and if you have pets, this is not permissible. And although the product will be advertised, the effectiveness of destruction is zero.
10 ways to get rid of ants in the garden
Why do ants appear in living quarters?
There are several reasons why insects, including ants, appear in residential areas:
- it is always warm in a human home;
- it is not difficult to find food, since even the cleanest owners can get hold of crumbs, spilled drops or food from pets’ bowls;
- Anthill nests can be located not in the apartment itself (where they are easy to find and destroy), but nearby - in a ventilation shaft, between floor beams, in a shaft where water supply pipes are located.
Ants are especially common in old residential buildings, but recently completed new buildings are not immune to their invasion.
Acid safety
Boric acid is safe for both children and animals. To be poisoned by acid, you need to eat as much as is not used to prepare the ant mixture. And an animal that eats 1-2 balls will not be poisoned.
To improve the effectiveness of baits, it is necessary to install new baits after 2–3 days. Before laying out the baits, put all food in places inaccessible to ants, clear all cutlery of food, do general cleaning and remove food debris under baseboards, remove animal cups and do not give food to animals anywhere. To avoid cleaning up after each bait, use paper. From the first days of using the bait, it will seem to you that there are many times more of them, but when the bait starts to work, the ants will begin to slowly disappear. It is important to take into account that as soon as you notice the appearance of ants, you must immediately begin to take action, otherwise over time they will multiply and it will be more difficult to remove them.
If you don’t want ants to appear in your house or apartment, maintain hygiene, do general cleaning, if you have pets, feed only in designated areas, do not leave food on the table overnight, crumbs, well, and if they do appear, use boric acid.
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Ways to get rid of ants in a house or apartment
Any housewife, after some time in the vicinity of ants, falls into a fighting rage: insects spoil food and do not distinguish between the kitchen table and the trash can. While shuttling between them, uninvited guests can carry various diseases. What to do if ants have settled in your home?
The main task when fighting these insects is to give the poisoned bait to the worker ant so that he will carry it to the queen - the queen of the colony. Sprays and fumigators are powerless in this case; they destroy only those ants that are located directly in your house or apartment. The colony may be tens of meters away from you.
The most effective way to get rid of ants is to destroy their queen using toxic substances
You can try to scare the ants with the smells of mint, pepper, cloves, garlic and onions, and wormwood. However, cunning insects are very reluctant to leave their homes, so repelling may not work.
Ants are very original in choosing a place for a colony - it could be baking foil in the kitchen, a closet with bed linen in the bedroom, an old photo album or video cassette, even a computer mouse and iron!
Ultrasonic repellers are completely useless here, and calling professional exterminators will cost you money. How to get rid of parasites without special expenses? A proven remedy - boric acid - will come to the rescue.
Proportions - how to dilute it and prepare it at home
Before you learn how to dilute boric acid, it is important to determine the accumulation sites or entrances to the anthill. In this case, you can use the drug pointwise, which is more favorable and safe. If this is difficult, it is best to place traps throughout the garden, but in this case other insects, birds and small animals may also suffer, so it is best to consider traps of a closed type and with small entrance holes. Also, ammonia can be used not only against ants, but also against aphids.
Features of the use of boric acid:
- The product can be toxic to humans and pets, so limit access to the garden or place it in remote places inaccessible to children.
- Containers for poison must be disposable . When it is no longer needed, it should be thrown away or burned.
- When working with the solution, you must protect your respiratory system, eyes and skin . In case of contact with mucous membranes, rinse with plenty of water. If you feel worse, go to the hospital. It will also be useful and interesting to learn about how to treat an apple tree against ants and aphids.
Despite the relative harmlessness, you should not get carried away with such processing. Boric acid can accumulate in fruits, so the solution is used spot-on.
Here's how to fight ants in garden beds using special means. information from the article will help you understand how they are called and operate.
If the anthill is located among thickets of garden or vegetable crops, the best option would be to set traps.
For an area completely populated by ants, such recipes will be ineffective. In this case, it is better to call a team of exterminators or use specialized preparations yourself.
Advantages of boron powder in baits
Boric acid as a remedy for ants in the garden and apartment shows itself on the positive side. The advantages of the drug include:
- Low price. The cost of one dose is approximately 50 rubles; you can purchase the product at any pharmacy.
- There are many ways to use it; boric acid is used both in its pure form to kill ants, and as an additive to baits.
- Excellent result. Almost everyone who used boron powder as a poison for pests noted excellent effectiveness and complete elimination of ant colonies.
- Performance. As soon as the poison penetrates the organ systems, irreversible poisoning and paralysis begin.
- Boric acid is suitable for use in a house, apartment, country house or garden plot.
- The use of a substance against ants in the garden destroys colonies. But for plants, boric acid acts as a fertilizer.
Useful tips
- Baits are placed only where pets and children do not have access to them.
- “Dishes” for domestic ants should be laid out in disposable plates or on thick sheets of paper.
- It is easier to avoid the appearance of ants in the house than to deal with them later. Therefore, if there is a problem with the appearance of “tenants”, then you cannot leave crumbs on the table and the remains of any food; you must remove garbage from the trash can more often.
- Having noticed at least one ant, you urgently need to start destroying them. It is easier to remove a small number of insects than to fight an entire colony.
Indoors, bait must be placed under a gas or electric stove, under cabinets and baseboards, and under the refrigerator. To get the best effect, remove food and block the ants' access to water.
Time frame for disposal
The time you spend exterminating ants depends on several factors. One of them is the time of the destructive effect of the boron preparation on the colony. One ant that gets acid into its body will die within two hours. But expecting that the entire colony will die just as quickly is too optimistic.
When you start fighting insects, be patient . Remember that the nest may be located several tens of meters from your apartment or property. Delivery of the poison you have prepared to the very center of the nest can take considerable time.
Obviously, it will take more effort and time to destroy garden ants, since the territory is open and it is almost impossible to limit crawling predators’ access to alternative food sources. Aphids are such protein food on the site. Killing ants means fighting aphids.
