SearchExclusive.com

Different Methods to Control the Invasion of Ants

Every now and then, you can spot tiny little ants roaming around in your homes or offices and getting rid of them gets added to your list of daily chores. It is very easy for them to invade your home and attack any available food items. An ant infestation is usually identified by noticing large numbers of ants trailing to or from edible sources in your home. Though there are many chemical ant repellents available on the market, there are certain home remedies too that can help in indoor ant control.

Let us discuss some indoor ant control methods to reduce their invasion.

Find the source

Instead of killing the ants instantly, try to find out the source from where they are coming from by following their trail. Killing can only control an invasion for a short period, but it is important to find their origin to get rid of them permanently.

Know the species of ants

Knowing the species of ants that are causing a problem in your houses or workplaces is a very important step as it will help you in identifying their nesting preferences and the food items that are attracting them. The most useful way of indoor ant control is to locate and destroy the nests of the ants but it can be done only when you have enough idea about different species of ants. For example, black ants mostly reside in their colony outdoors and Carpenter ants make their home in moist wood that can be both inside and outside your home.

Seal the cracks or spaces

Using a latex caulk or filler seal the exterior cracks or holes in your homes from where ants can enter easily. If you do not have any caulk available, then you can also apply some petroleum jelly on that area to prevent an invasion.

Proper sanitation

Following good sanitation practices is a great way to make your home less attractive to ants. Any food source can attract ants to your home. So, it is advised to always keep your kitchen clean and always remove food wastes, crumbs, and spillages. Also, do not keep food uncovered for a long period of time. Store all food especially sweets in tight-sealed containers. Seal the waste bags properly and always cover the dustbins.

Keep vegetation in control

General vegetation around the premises of your home or office should always be kept under control to aid. Always make sure that the trees and bushes around your home should not be touching the building, gutter or sewages and always cut the overhanging branches.

Natural remedies for indoor ant control

Ant repellents or pesticides have a bad odor and can also have a negative impact on the environment and sometimes your health too. These repellents can travel far distances, by flowing with the rainwater into nearby waters or seeping through the soil into the ground. Insecticides are considered as the most harmful and toxic pesticide to the environment. Here are some great natural remedies to eradicate the ant invasion without harming the environment.

Lemon

The acid present in lemon destroys the ant’s smelling sense. Spray a lemon water solution around your home and rub the lemon slices along the base of doors, windows, and cracks in the walls to prevent ants from getting inside.

Cinnamon

Try to identify the ant entrance and pour a line of cinnamon there or sprinkle it around your garden and window sills. You can also use cinnamon essential oils. It will spread a nice fragrance in your home and also keep away the ants.

Chalk

Draw outlines with chalk around the cracks and openings of the house like doors and window sill. Chalk has calcium carbonate which repels ants to cross the chalk line.

Cornmeal

Cornmeal disrupts the digestion of ants and can also kill them. Sprinkle cornmeal around the boundaries of your home and also outside. Also, spray some in the ant’s nest.

Vinegar

Mop the floors and clean the kitchen slabs with vinegar and water solution to erase the trail of ants. Sprinkle this solution in the ant’s nest, near baseboards and also around the cracks and openings of your home.

Protein and grease

Some ants like protein and grease. Make a mixture of a spoonful of peanut butter with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of borax. Take a plastic straw and tap the end of it into the mixture repeatedly until the straw gets filled with the mixture completely. After that, Cut the straw into ½ inch pieces and put them next to ant trails.

An invasion can be easily controlled by following the observation, elimination and prevention methods. Try the mentioned methods to prevent ant invasion in your homes. All these methods and natural remedies are easy to follow and can surely help in blocking the ant’s way of invasion.

Related Reading

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Most of the dogs do not have a food fuss and may eat almost anything that you feed them. Dogs are not choosy at all when it comes to food and nutrition. Hence, it is important to make sure that the food that you are purchasing for your dog is healthy. The landscape of dog food has been developing by leaps and bounds in recent times. There is a wide variety of options to choose from in the online and offline market. Given the wide range of options that are available today, buying the best dog food might seem to be a confusing task indeed. All the commercial pet food that is available in the market today is regulated by the FDA. Therefore, most of the products do contain nutritious, healthy, and safe ingredients. But it does help to know certain basic factors you should look for while buying food for your dog. Prioritize on the nutritional guarantee The best dog food, which meets the dog’s needs adequately has a statement written on the label of the product, from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Buy from some of the best dog food brands, such as Fromm Family Foods, Earthborn Holistic, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and The Honest Kitchen.

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

The most important aspect when designing your kitchen is deciding on the type of cabinets. In addition to functionality, kitchen cabinets score on aesthetics as well. Once the layout is planned, you can go ahead with choosing the cabinets. If you’re remodeling your home or just the kitchen, what you need to consider are the types of cabinets that furnish your kitchen. Here are a few types of kitchen cabinets that you can choose from. Base cabinets These kitchen cabinets are mounted on the floor and they are placed after checking out the floor plan. A major part of your job in the kitchen is on these base cabinets, which hold and support the countertops. These base cabinets are combined to carve out kitchen islands. A number of base cabinets are fused/set against one another and installed on site. The base cabinets, in addition to supporting the countertops, serve as drawers to hold your cutlery and appliances. Wall cabinets Mounted on the walls, these cabinets can store everything, right from your cookware to cookbooks. In terms of design, they offer utmost flexibility. Wall cabinet kitchen is available in varying heights, multiple widths, and custom depth options. This customization helps you to fit in your stuff of varying shapes and sizes into the wall cabinets.

How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

In today’s world, where you are presented with over a dozen choices for every item you would purchase for your own kitchen, it is not surprising that you have an equal number of options for your dog’s food. However, choosing the perfect brand and formula for your dog out of a range of options in the market is not an easy job. Your pet depends on you and trusts you to make the right choice for them. Therefore, it is imperative that you do your research about the products available in the market, understand what your dog needs, know what might be your pet’s problems, and then make a sound decision. What is a sensitive stomach? Dogs are known to have voracious and large appetites. Keeping that in mind, it is normal to assume that they have strong stomachs. They can eat close to anything be it sweets, bakes, chewy gum, hard leather or even woolen socks for that matter! It always so happens that the strongest of them are prone to allergies and can develop a disorder which is medically translated as a sensitive stomach. This might be due to a sudden change in the food habits or even due an infection picked up from somewhere.

All You Need to Know about Cat Food

For cat owners, cat food is a hot topic. You need to think about it in different aspects. The best thing is to know which ingredients are good for cat food and which are harmful. If you are aware of this, you can get an idea about the quality of the cat food just by going through the label. It is always sensible to stick to one brand of cat food. However, you may also want to try and prepare cat food yourself. There are also various options for wet cat food as well. Cat’s love for fish is universal, so you can do without going for expensive cat food. Nevertheless, whether you buy it or prepare cat food at home, you need to ensure that the food contains enough nutrition and calories. You would need to have some idea about the ingredients that must be present in cat food and make a worthy selection for your cat. Basic ingredients present in good cat foods Cats need a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and active; they need various vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and oils. The following is a brief explanation of the basic ingredients that should be present in cat foods.