Getting Rid of Ant Problems



Posted: Sunday, May 24, 2009

by Jerry Markovic

The subject of getting rid of ants is a interesting one to talk about.  The reason is that there is a large variety in the species of ants, each of them are unique in their own right.  How to get rid of them changes with the species you are dealing with.  It's no longer a question of "how" but "what kind" - that is, what kind of ant are you being invaded by?

Due to the large number of species, it is nearly impossible to figure out what you're dealing with.  The problem can be broken down by region.  Some ants are more prevalent in some places rather than other.  For example, Argentine ants are more often found on the West Coast than the East Coast. The best approach is to break down ant control methods by the type of ants you may encounter.  I leave it to the reader to decide what ant you may be up against.  The most common species will be covered here and a brief discussion of the signs so you can figure out what type of ant it is.

Pavement Ants

This is the most common type of household ant faced by people today.  This is the little dark colored ant that constructs small sand hills in the side of house near the foundation or in driveways.  Getting rid of ant hills in the garden is the most commonly cited problems people run into with ants. The bait used should be sweet, like boric acid.  Due to the fact that these ants are so common, there are many treatment methods you can find at your local home and garden center.  Just make sure it says it treats pavement ants. 

You may find yourself finding winged ants.  These are generally male pavement ants that are getting ready to mate.  If you encounter these in the walls of your home. To handle this, you will need to drill holes and apply an aerosol insecticide.  Unless you are extremely comfortable, this may be better left to the professionals.  If you allow this ant colony to continue to grow, it could result in serious damage to the frame of your home.

Pharaoh Ants

Another common household ant you may find yourself coming across is the pharaoh ant.  This ant is a tiny yellowish-brown ant.  It is a difficult ant combat because it is a very resilient species.  Like the pavement ant, you should use a sweet bait such as borax.  The same bait used to get rid of pavement ants can be used on pharaoh ants, but be sure to read the label.

Fire Ants

The fire ant, or red ant, is most prevalent in the Southern states.  These ants are particularly nasty because they are an aggressive species and will attack anyone that comes near their nest.  Getting rid of fire ants requires a two phased approach. The first involves "broadcasting" a bait insecticide in and around the affected region.  This will wipe out a significant portion of the ants, but not all of them.  It needs to be followed up by phase two: drenching.  This involves applying an organic liquid insecticide, by drenching the nests.  Do not be stingy with the insecticides.

These are the most probable ants you will face during your quest to make your home and yard ant free.  There are thousands of species you might encounter, but the treatment techniques will be similar.  The most important part of getting rid of ants, is figuring out what kind of ant you have.  Give the treatment technique a chance to work.  If it doesn't work, try something different - you may have misidentified the ant you're dealing with.

Figuring out how to get rid of ants quickly and efficiently is not a simple task.  Visit Jerry's blog to learn all the tips to naturally get rid of ants in the garden.

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