Ants are a common pest found throughout the United States. You will typically see only a small portion of the ants that are in your home. To eradicate the problem, you need effective ant control solutions that are tailored to your infestation.
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What Are Ant Control Solutions?
Ant control solutions come in many forms. If you’re shopping for over-the-counter products, you’ll typically find a variety of pest sprays, ant traps, and ant baits. These ant control solutions can help you tackle a small part of the problem, but they’re not good enough to treat the more significant issue. To truly be effective, an ant control solution must address all aspects of the infestation.
If you choose a pest spray as your ant control solution, you run the risk of simply alarming the ants. If the colony feels threatened, it will respond by budding out to create other colonies, causing your ant infestation to worsen. Ant baits are only useful if you know what type of ant you’re dealing with.
The best ant control solution is to call a professional like Bulwark Exterminating. We have a time-tested method for dealing with ant infestations that will help you reclaim your home quickly and efficiently.
How Do Ant Control Solutions Work?
Ant control solutions work in many ways. The type of product that you’re using will determine the functionality of that solution. Any time you’re working with an ant control solution, it’s essential to understand what goes into that product, so you know what type of results to expect. In many cases, you may discover that the product doesn’t function the way you thought it would.
Ant Sprays
Bug sprays typically work by killing the pest on contact. Some sprays are used directly on the ants, while others remain on the floor until the ant walks over that area, absorbing it through the body. While an ant spray may kill the ants that it comes into contact with, it will not address the problem of the colony at large.
Ant Baits
Ant bait is more effective than an ant spray; the bait lures in ants who believe that it’s a food source. The foraging ants then take the bait back to their colony where it’s shared with the other ants. This tactic allows you to deliver poison right to the ants’ home, where you’re more likely to impact the entire infestation.
Ant Traps
The term “ant trap” can be deceiving. Many people believe that an ant trap is something an ant will enter and never leave. An ant trap is just a delivery system for ant bait. Ants enter the trap, take the bait, and return with it to the colony. A well-placed ant trap will help you supply the ant colony with the poisoned bait.
Ant Repellant
While the previous solutions are intended to kill off an existing ant infestation, ant repellents are made to stop an infestation from occurring in the first place. An effective ant repellant will create a barrier that the ants don’t want to cross. When ants who are seeking to establish a colony come across these substances, they will typically go elsewhere. An ant repellant will not help you kill an established colony, and repellents aren’t always as effective as you’d like.
How Do I Choose the Right Ant Control Solution for My Home?
To select the right ant control solution for your home, you must first identify the ant species that you’re dealing with. Ants vary significantly from one species to another. Some differentiating factors include:
- Diet
- Appearance
- Activity levels during the day or night
- Speed and type of movement
- Location and type of nest
- Geographical area
Keep in mind that examining the visible ants will only give you a small glimpse into the scope of the problem. Roughly five percent of the colony leaves the nest to forage. The rest of the ants are in the nest, which is where your ant control tactics must ultimately reach.
What Causes DIY Ant Control Solutions to Fail?
Attempts at DIY ant control solutions often fail; this results in an unnecessary expenditure of time and effort for the homeowner. While it’s tempting to try over-the-counter products before calling an exterminator, you should think about the price of these products. A few failed attempts at DIY ant control solutions can quickly add up to more than the cost of hiring a professional to do the job right the first time.
Your ant control attempts can fail if:
- You use the wrong type of bait – Some ants will only eat sugary foods while others seek out protein. The ants in your home may only consume liquids, or they may have a diet that changes with the season. You must know what they eat.
- You don’t place your bait in the right area – It’s essential to understand the ants’ habits, so you choose a bait they will find and take.
- You treat only a small part of the problem – Using an ant bait, spray, or repellant in only one area might cause the ants to change their habits while still maintaining their residence in your home.
- You alarm the ants rather than kill them – If the ants see your ant control solutions as a threat, they will scatter, making them more challenging to treat.
What Can I Do to Get Rid of Ants?
The best solution for an ant infestation is a professional pest treatment. Our exterminators can help you identify the ants in your home accurately. We understand the important differences between ant species and will choose an ant control solution that’s suited to the ants in your home.
If you’re looking for a lasting ant control solution that gets to the very root of the problem back in the nest, contact an experienced exterminator to get the job done right.