To keep giant ants away, there are both natural remedies, such as vinegar and citrus peels, and specific chemical products, such as gel insecticide.
All the remedies to keep giant ants away
To keep the giant ants you can use natural methods o chemical products.
Natural remedies include: vinegar, citrus peels, a mix of borax and sugar, repellent spices, natural barriers, and essential oils.
Among the chemical products instead: gels, sprays, powders and baits.
Giant ants, also called carpenter antscan cause significant damage both inside and outside your home, so it’s important to keep them away.
Ant colony – canva
Ants in the house, can to compromise the wood structure of doors and beams, and can also contaminate food.
Ants in the garden can instead damage the plants creating a symbiotic relationship with aphids.
Natural remedies against giant ants
I natural remedies per keep ants away They are easily available and safe for the environment, and they must also be repeated daily until the ants disappear, without any limit since eco-friendly.
L’vinegar thanks to its pungent smell, disturbs the ants and discourages them from returning to treated areas.
For this remedy, mix in equal parts White vinegar e water in a spray bottle and spray the solution directly on the ants and entry points such as doors, windows and cracks in walls.
The citrus peelssuch as lemons, oranges and grapefruits, contain essential oils that ants find unpleasant.
Cut a pezzetti the peels and distribute in the infested areas.
It is also possible prepare an infusion by boiling the peels in water and then spray the solution obtained at the critical points.
Alternatively it is possible combine water bottle e sugarvery effective because it interferes with the digestive system giant ants.
Giant Ants in the House – Getty Images
Mix one part of borax with three parts of sugar and dissolve the mixture in hot water.
Immerse of the cotton balls in the solution and place them along the ants’ paths and near the nests.
Make sure in this case that place the bait in places inaccessible to children e petssince borax can be toxic if ingested in large quantities.
Last resort is a cinnamon mix e clovesspices naturally repellent for giant ants due to their strong aroma.
To use this natural remedy, sprinkle cinnamon powder and whole cloves along the ants’ usual paths, or create a spray solution.
How to Create a Barrier Against Giant Ants
The Talcum and chalk barriers These are materials that ants find difficult to cross; just to track a chalk line e sprinkle some talcum powder around the entry points.
Be sure to keep these lines intact and reapply them periodically, especially since the rain of the cleaning can ruin them: this precaution is valid for most barriers.
The farina in mais It is perfect because when ants transport and consume it, they are unable to digest it properly, driving them away permanently.
You need to spread the corn flour generously along the paths and place small piles of flour near the nests.
Corn flour barrier – canva
The diatomaceous earth It is a natural remedy composed of diatom fossils – microscopic algae – whose skeletal structures are sharp and abrasive.
When ants come into contact with dust, the sharp particles damage their exoskeleton, causing enormous discomfort.
There is only one thing to be careful about: diatomaceous earth remains effective as long as it remains dry, so make sure it does not get wet.
Diatomaceous Earth – canva
This product non It results to be toxicbut it is always better to avoid its direct exposure e prolongedfor this reason it is better wear a mask to avoid inhaling dust during application.
How to Repel Ants with Essential Oils
Natural essences permanently drive away giant ants thanks to the power of the smell they release, including:
- L’peppermint essential oil It is one of the most powerful remedies against ants. Its fresh and intense aroma acts as a natural repellent.
- L’lemon essential oil It has a citrus aroma that is particularly unpleasant to ants.
- L’eucalyptus essential oil It is known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties, as well as being an effective repellent for many insects.
- L’lavender essential oil It has a pleasant smell to humans, but is annoying to ants.
- L’rosemary essential oil It has a strong aroma that ants find unpleasant.
For all these aromas, you need mix 10-15 drops of the oil you have chosen, with 250 ml of water.
You can also use aroma diffusers to constantly release essential oils into the environment.
Example of Essential Oils, Lavender – canva
This solution is particularly useful for indoor environments which, in addition, will retain a pleasant smell.
What are the chemical remedies to keep giant ants away?
There are different solutions for chemical remedies against giant ants, although much more aggressiveincluding gel insecticide, powder insecticide, poison baits and finally insecticide sprays.
L’gel insecticide attracts ants thanks to a sweet or protein base, once taken, the gel is transported into the nest by the worker antspoisoning the entire colony.
The powdered insecticidessuch as those containing “permethrin” or “deltamethrin”, can be used to treat infested areas and cracks in structures by acting on contact.
The poisoned baits They are similar to gels, but you can find them in the form of granules or tablets.
These baits are designed to be attractive, using fipronil or indoxacarb the ants carry the bait into the nest, poisoning the entire colony.
The baits must be strategically positioned along the routes, otherwise they lose their effectiveness completely if badly placed.
Finally the insecticide sprays They act quickly to treat giant ant infestations, in fact these must be applied directly to ant paths and home entry points.
Natural methods that don’t keep ants away
There are also some natural remedies that you should to denyas they will not push away either very small antsnor giants.
Water and sugar It can be counterproductive, as sugar attracts more ants, while water has no direct adverse effect on them.
With ground coffee there is no evidence to prove its effectiveness.
Coffee powder, near entry points – canva
Talcum powder can be ineffective if it doesn’t come applied correctlybut above all it is too volatile and can be swept away too easily.
The mixture of baking soda and sugar has some limitations as baking soda is ineffective in compromising the digestive system of giant ants.
L’citric acid or the sale Instead, they will only risk altering the pH of the soil, without having a significant impact on the elimination of ants and ruining gardens.
Finally the washing powder It does not contain chemicals that are harmful to giant ants, making it useless.
Source: www.lavorincasa.it