Of course, use the pesticide is the simplest option: a splash and go. But that is why you should never use insecticides:
They are toxic to humans and animals;
pollute the environment.
And then actually the ants do not do anything wrong and do not need to kill them, not always anyway.
Before focusing on natural methods to create distance, we know best the ants.
Ants: species, habits and infestation
Ants are social and are Hymenoptera animals since females and breeding males have wings.
Among the most common species we are:
- Crematogaster scutellaris, also known as Redhead. The abdomen is black, heart-shaped, and the red head. They nest in wood and cardboard walls. They feed on insects, meat, vegetables and breed aphids from which they extract the sugary secretions.
- Formica rufa, the abdomen is the head are blacks and chest, legs and antenna are red. Build nests with pine needles. They have a very aggressive, bite and spray formic acid.
- Lasius Flavus, are orange-yellow color. They build their nests in the ground and feed on small insects.
- Tetramorium Caespitum, is a breed of small black or brown ant with legs and antennae of a lighter shade. Eats insects, sweets, fruits and oily food scraps. It establishes its nest on rocky ground near a water source
- Messor or harvester ants, is the most widespread species in Italy. They dwell in the soil and collect seeds to preserve in their barns and they eat.
- Linepithema humble - Argentine ant, is located in the Ligurian area. It 's very small, dark head and abdomen with chest and legs yellow antennae. It 'very aggressive with other colonies, bites but does not sting. It eats sweets, live and dead insects, meat, cereals and fruit.
- black ant houses, is shiny black and is very often in the kitchen in search of food in the garbage or at the animal droppings. WARNING: may be the vehicle of bacteria like salmonella.
- Bulldog ant, can be red or black. Has a stinger which hit the enemy, its sting is painful. It feeds on other insects and plant nectar.
Now let's see some interesting information:
After a storm males and virgin females winged fly away from their anthills. Once fertilized females come off the wings and build a new nest in which to give life to the workers, while the males die. The queen lays eggs from which will be born only female ants, the males will be born for the past solely to fertilize other females.
Types of communication:
- Food: the worker who finds it leaves a trail with the rectal gland and shake your head or does taste the food if it is liquid.
- Nest: the workers who found a new nest also leaves a trail with the rectal gland and uses tactile signals to communicate the news sometimes dragging a mate, weight, on the spot.
- Intruders: an ant to report an intruder leaves a trail with sternal gland and emits four chemicals in the air to alert, stimulate aggression and report the source of disturbance.
infesting ants: how to send her away?
In the first place, especially the kitchen should always be clean, no rubbish around and close the remains of food in tightly sealed containers. The excrement of animals compartment removed immediately. The cracks and fissures must be closed, they should be monitored for standing water and the wet rooms. Remove the plants infested with aphids. Seal the entry points with tape or silicone.
How to ward off ants naturally
Here are all the natural remedies that you can use to ward off ants:
Lemon
Just pour the lemon juice in a spray bottle and spray it along the trail (if you need to stretch it spray it on walls with a little water).
Vinegar
Same as for the lemon, very effective because it clears the chemical traces left by the ants, a good idea is to wash the floors.
Cinnamon
It can spread the dust at points of entry of the ants and the wake.
Mint
Placed in jars near the windows or doors to keep away.
Water, sugar and borax
Make a paste and deliver us into balls along the trail. As for even the cockroaches will remain poisoned by eating ants. WARNING KEEP AWAY FROM THE BORAX CHILDREN AND PETS.
hot soapy water
Put a spray bottle and spray along the trail. To use against aggressive ants.
Plaster
Just dust it too long in the access points of the ants, the walls and in the corners.
Coffee grounds
Are a great repellent, ants and snails hate them.
salt
Spargerne just near the entrance of insects and these desist from invading your home.
Pepper and chili
Obviously ants will stand clear, however, attention to curious pets.
cloves
Placed pantries take away the troublesome insects.
Honey
For relapses you only place near the trail full of honey cap, they will remain glued;
Lemon essential oil
Just dilute it in a little white vinegar and spray in areas under attack. Excellent also the essential oil of peppermint and eucalyptus.
Laurel
Same as for the cloves you can put it in the pantry and in the breadcrumbs, also it keeps out moisture.
Oregano and dried mint
Scattered in the wake or entry points keep away ants.
Infusions of cinnamon and mint
They can be used to prevent someone insects and clean the infested areas.
Although ants are not always aggressive and do not constitute a big threat, some are vehicles of bacteria and it is good not to be the haunted house. The main rule is clean, clean rooms without food scraps or dirt are not ideal habitat for any kind of insect.
