When you see an ant in your workplace, it is normal to go after a container of bugs spray. While this will kill the ants on contact, they may return the following day or two. Imagine a scenario in which you don’t have any bug spray. There is a considerable measure of things you may have in the workplace that will execute them-and keep them away for good!
It is always great to attempt a few unique things to dispose of these pesty animals. Ants can attack the cleanest of workplaces. On the off chance that there is a fire in your workplace, where might you fight it? At its source. It is the same with ants. You can do your absolute best to kill these bugs, however until the point that you discover the source they will continue returning.
Fire ants, carpenter ants, and Argentine ants are some of the most commonly known species of ants. Every species of ant is controlled or eradicated in similar ways, all except the carpenter ants commonly found in workplaces. These ants, when seen, must be exterminated professionally, due to its highly destructive capacity, especially in workplace structures.
Typically, carpenters destroying ants are black and larger than nuisance ants, about half an inch or bigger. There are other types of wood destroying ants that are smaller and range in colors from yellow to orange.
A common misconception is that wood destroying ants eat wood. In fact, they burrow into wood to create their nests. Frequently, wood destroying ants appear in wood that has already been damaged by moisture or other pests. If you start seeing piles or spots of sawdust-like material around your workplace, without any reasonable explanation, you may have a wood-destroying pest on your hands and should have this checked by a pest control company.
Do-it-yourself baits are typically less efficient than hiring a professional pest control company, but if you do try bait, make sure you get one that is specially formulated for wood destroying ants. This type of ant is also notorious for creating “satellite” colonies, so you will want to be thorough in making sure you are getting the “parent” colony (the one with the queens). Otherwise, the ants will start establishing new colonies once the bait wears off, or they will move the colonies into untreated areas of your workplace.
Ants typically group themselves into colonies to find food, water, and to build their habitation. They work in groups, with scouts who leave scent trails for others to follow workplace or to an area replete with food. Some ants also create sub-colonies next to their source of food and bring out queens to develop new independent colonies.
The best ant control tip to help deal with these pesky little critters is to seal any cracks or crevices with which they will be able to enter your workplace. Another way to eliminate ants is to remove the scent trail which scouts leave. One can do this by either killing the scouts or wiping out the scent trail. One of the best ways to do this is to follow the ants to the trail entrance and to wipe out the trail with warm soapy water. Ants will try to relocate the source or scent, but after repeated erasings, the ants will give up in a week’s time.
Inside the workplace
Clean the area where ants are active to minimize them but more importantly, to make the bait their only food choice
Choose a gel or liquid ant bait for best results because the taste and texture of them are designed to be like ant’s natural food. Hard baits like that in stick-on bait stations is often ignored by ants. Baits sold in toothpaste-like tubes work best and they are easy to use.
Apply small amounts of the bait in many areas as opposed to one or two large clumps. Place it where the ants have been seen eating, in their trails if trailing, where they have been seen walking and where they have been observed entering the area.
Be patient because ant bait works by allowing the worker ants to return to the nest before dying, but have faith, bait is second only to treating the ant nest directly for getting rid of ants.
Outside the workplace
Remove things that make your property attractive to ants. Start by eliminating clutter because it gives ants a place to hide. Pull back mulch from the foundation, or better, put a 1-2 foot layer of pea gravel between the mulch and your workplace. Keep the yard mowed and removed grass and leaf clutter.
Use a liquid pesticide (traditional or organic) as a drench poured directly on nests if they are found. This is the single best method to get rid of ants. If you cannot locate the nest, use gel bait placed around common entries such as windows, doors, plumbing and electrical areas and also entirely around your workplace spaced 5-10 feet apart. Don’t just sling it around. Think like an ant. Place it along edges and in grooves where ants like to travel.
• You can also use diatomaceous earth, which is made from algae. Once this powder is sprinkled to the ants, they will dry up and will eventually die.
• A mixture of water, sugar, and boric acid is also proven to work against ants. Justly mix these substances, dip a cotton ball, and leave it along the ants’ trails.
• A method that is not used commonly is called electric trap. This consists of an incandescent lamp that attracts flying ants. They will be electrocuted once they have made contact with the wire that is wrapped around the bulb.
• Vinegar and water with a ratio of 1:1 is also a useful weapon to destroy these pests. The acid present in the vinegar acts as a poison to ants.
• Baking soda will also work against ants. Just sprinkle the baking soda along the trails of the ants. This will increase the acid level inside the body of the ants and will kill them eventually.
Once you are sure that the ants are no longer inside your workplace, spray a protective pesticide (traditional or organic) barrier entirely around your workplace to prevent them from reentering the workplace.
