Flooded out of their homes, ants seek refuge in ours. Photo: Thrasher Termite & Pest Control, 2016
El Niño has finally arrived in Northern California, and the rains have had disastrous consequences…for ants. According to Janet Thrasher of Thrasher Termite & Pest Control, Inc., when rainwater saturates the earth, it floods ants’ colonies and forces them to seek refuge in nearby dwellings. Consequently, ant-related calls to Diamond Certified pest companies are currently on the rise.
How to Get Rid of Ants
If you need to get rid of ants in your house, there are many different ways to go about it, but the most effective way is to destroy their nest. Pouring a kettle full of boiling water and some liquid soap over the nest might do the trick. If you can’t find or access the nest, your best option is to call a licensed pest control company for help.
Natural Ant Repellent
There are a number of effective natural ant repellents and killers you may want to try. While we only have anecdotal experience with these solutions, they’re inexpensive and nontoxic to people, so you might as well give them a try:
Essential oils (peppermint, tea tree, clove, lemon or cinnamon): These scents disrupt the ants’ ability to navigate. Dab essential oils where you see ants entering the house or draw a “line” of scent across ant trails.
Food-grade diatomaceous earth: A safe, natural ant killer, ants will bring diatomaceous earth back to their nest where it will slowly kill the carrier ant and its comrades.
White vinegar and liquid soap: Combine in a spray bottle to clean up ant trails. Keeping those trails clean will help disrupt the ant food chain.
Clear caulk: If you see where the ants are entering your home, immediately seal the area with clear caulk.
For more on how to keep ants out of your home, check out this video tip from Diamond Certified Expert Contributor Felipe Montanez, Operations Manager at Hydrex Pest Control of the North Bay, Inc.
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I have heard of using vinegar but never with dish soap. It makes a lot more sense to use something that will help it stick to keep bugs out.
You have to store food in sealed plastic or glass containers. Garbage containing food scraps should be placed in tightly covered trash cans. Remove garbage regularly from your home.