Pest Control for Ants
One of the most requested services from homeowners and businesses, especially in the summer months, is pest control for ants. I seem to get more and more customers calling wanting me to get rid of ants around their home. This is something that is easily done if the correct methods and products are put in place.
Ants can the internal walls from the external weep holes. This is a very easy way for ants to gain access into the house and start to build a nest inside the wall cavity.
Weep holes are a series of vertical caps placed around the perimeter of a house to allow for the removal of moisture or condensation that may build up over time. But they are also a very good hiding place for ants as they not only provide shelter but also a moist environment for ants to build their nest.
Ants are found a lot around damp areas, such as swimming pools, gutters and moist garden beds. As with most pests they need a constant supply of water to survive.
Ways To Help Prevent Ants
Ants are always going to be around. They were here long before us and will more than likely be here long after us. But there are ways of keeping them at bay during their most active times and ant pest control treatment is one.
A great place to start in the prevention of ants is to keep your wheelie bins away from the walls of your home. These bins are a magnet for ants and a super easy way for them to source food for their colony.
In the kitchen, always keep the bench tops clean and tidy. After preparing food it’s best to make sure there are no food crumbs left around, as this is definitely going to attract ants – and cockroaches too!
Make sure your rubbish is in a sealed plastic bag when placed into the outside wheelie bin. This helps keep odours at bay.
For all you avid gardeners that like to feed your plants with products such as blood and bone, then this will certainly encourage ants to that area. There’s not a lot you can do about this if you want healthy plants except to have a regular ant pest control spray.
Pest Control For Ants That Works
There are all sorts of products that can be purchased from local shops and hardware centres for ant pest control. Bunnings, for example, has a huge range of products designed to get rid of ants. But from my experience, they only give a very short term solution, in most cases only a few days or even hours.
So what is the best solution to get rid of ants? Well I can tell you there is one product that works very well for ants – Termidor, which can only be used and applied by a licensed pest control technician.
Termidor has what’s known as a transfer effect. When the ants come into contact with it they unknowingly take it back to their colony. Ants are social creatures and groom each other and also drop down pheromones. This is how the product is transferred throughout the colony.
This product is also used in the eradication of termites and it works in the same way. The termites will go back to their nest and start to infect the rest of their family of wood-eating monsters, eventually wiping out the main colony.
How Long Do Ant Treatments Last
Termidor has a very good residual effect. It will last for many months before the elements start to break it down. When sprayed onto walls during an ant pest control service, the treatment can last up to 12 months in certain situations. Shorter if in direct sunlight. If treatment is done before warmer months it will help to keep the ants away for the duration of their more active period.
Conclusion
Employing the services of a local Brisbane pest control company may cost a little more at the start than the DIY option. But it’s easier and more effective than going to buy your own sprays from the local shops. And it will also save you money in the long term, as an ant treatment can be combined into your annual pest control service.
