- How to fight?
- Prophylaxis
If ants run around the house, they spoil the appearance of the house, carry dirt over it, climb into household appliances, breaking it. Therefore, you need to get rid of them faster. This is not difficult to do. Buy pre-made insect repellents available from stores. They will destroy not individual ants, but the entire colony. But for the home, especially if small children and pets live in it, we choose a safe and inexpensive product that would not harm family members. Use ammonia to drive ants out of your home.
This is a simple and affordable way to fight ants, because ammonia can be found in every home in the first aid kit.
Why do ants appear?
Small invaders of foreign territories appear in apartments, private houses and vegetable gardens for various reasons, but they cause enormous harm regardless of where they settled: under the parquet on the 8th floor of an apartment building or under the bark of a tree in a summer cottage.
- The most common reason is the massive flight of winged ants once a year. This "landing" is intended to search for nesting sites and the organization of new colonies.
- Unsanitary conditions in the room, rare cleaning, food and pet food residues are freely available.
- The arrival of insects from neighbors when processing apartments or renovating.
- Opportunity to bring ants from the infected area on clothes or shoes.
- The presence of aphids on garden or domestic plants - its appearance will certainly attract ants.
- Purchase of commission furniture, which may contain a nest of ants.
Ammonia - a little chemistry
Ammonia is one of the most important products of the chemical industry; it is used in various fields of human activity. It is also used to obtain ammonia. The fundamental difference between these products is that ammonia is a gaseous substance that liquefies at -33 ° C. Ammonia gas or "alkaline air" was obtained in 1774 by the English scientist J. Priestley. The chemical composition of the new substance was determined in 1785, at the same time it got its name.
There are several assumptions where this name originated. One of them is associated with the name of the ancient Egyptian god Amun. During ritual ceremonies, believers smelled ammonia, a white crystalline substance that emits ammonia when heated. The second version is the existence of the Ammon oasis in North Africa, located at the intersection of busy caravan routes. The constant presence of a large number of pack animals on its territory led to the accumulation of their waste products. Urea under the influence of high temperature gives off a strong ammonia odor.
Ammonia Ammonium is an aqueous solution of ammonia, or rather ammonium hydroxide. In appearance, it is a colorless transparent liquid with a pungent odor.
On a note!
In addition to medical purposes, the tool is often used by summer residents while working in the garden and vegetable garden. This is due to the fact that plants need nitrogen to actively build up green mass, set buds and form fruits. In ammonia, its mass reaches 82% of the total composition of the drug.
A high concentration of an alcohol solution, a low price and efficiency of use - these are the factors that explain the high demand for a pharmaceutical product, which is confirmed by consumer reviews.
Ants at their summer cottage
Do not believe those who say that there is only benefit from ants in the garden! Many summer residents take wishful thinking, misinterpreting the actions of insects that inhabit trees and beds.
The actions of ants (myth) | Reality |
Loosens the soil, saturating it with oxygen | Damage plant roots |
Pollinate the ovary of seedlings | Eat young seedlings and tender germinated seeds |
Pollinate flowers | Damage plants by extracting nectar |
Destroy aphids | They "settle" aphids on other plants, providing themselves with sweet carbohydrates and protecting them from other insects |
They settle in the hollows of trees, protecting the tree from caterpillars and beetles | Turn trees to dust by making passages under the bark |
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Having found ants on your garden plot, you need to urgently take measures, otherwise you can be left without a crop!
The danger of ants to humans and the garden
Ants spoil the plants and fruits themselves
Folk omens consider the appearance of a colony in a house as a good sign, which promises pleasant changes in life for the better. However, in reality, ants in an apartment or in the country are unwanted guests. Penetrating into a wide variety of places (for example, in garbage, toilets, sewers), they easily become carriers of diseases, some can be extremely dangerous to humans, especially for small children and pets. Insect bites can cause an allergic reaction.
Domestic ants do not bite, their jaws are too small and weak, but individuals who come from the street can not only bite, but also cause anaphylactic shock.
Also, ants hide food debris in crevices, which causes mold and rot, and in the garden they often "unite" with aphids, which suck the juice from the leaves.
Important! Woodworms are dangerous for wooden floors, walls, furniture.
Ants in the garden are no less dangerous:
- They dig holes underground, spoil seeds and roots, especially of young plants.
- Individuals gnaw through passages in wood, which makes trees rotten, sick, and opens access to other, more dangerous parasites.
- Often, pests bite off young shoots, buds and leaves.
- They spoil the harvest: insects bite them from the outside and make their way inside. Most often, sweet fruits and cucumbers are affected.
Ants in a private house or apartment
Small ants try to settle closer to humans. They are attracted by easy access to food, warmth and humidity of secluded places in the bathroom or under the baseboard, where it is so tempting to organize a nest ...
Neighborhood with an ant colony is unpleasant in itself - who likes to find ants in plates or bags of cereals? But this discomfort means nothing compared to the danger of infections carried by uninvited neighbors.
Domestic ants eat any protein and carbohydrate substances: from feces from the litter box to food leftovers on the table of a negligent hostess. I don't even want to imagine how many microbes on tiny paws move along ant paths to food, sugar bowls and breadbaskets ...
There are different types of insects in apartments and houses:
Species of ants | Color | Where do they live | Can they live in the wild |
Pharaoh's | Redheads | Apartment buildings | Not |
Thief ants | Black | Private houses, apartment buildings not higher than 2 floors | Yes, people only come to their home for food. |
Forest ants | Red | Old wooden houses | Yes |
But, regardless of color and size, all means are good to deal with such "lodgers".
Application in the garden
In addition to the fact that ammonia or ammonia is useful for plants when the dosage is observed, it is quite popular in the fight against insects.
In order to use ammonia from ants, you must:
- take a gauze bandage to protect the respiratory tract from the mixture, since ammonia vapors not only have an unpleasant odor, but are also harmful to humans;
- wear gloves to protect your hands;
- prepare a solution by mixing ammonia and tar soap, dissolving the mixture in water in a 1: 1: 1 ratio; the proposed mixture will be sticky and will increase the chances in the fight against the "six-legged" neighbors;
- spray the mixture onto the trunk of tall (for example, viburnum tree) and medium-sized plants;
- watering the beds in the open air and in the greenhouse - the mixture will be useful for the plants, but it will cause ants and aphids to leave or die on the spot if drops of the drug fall on their bodies.
With the above solution, you can fight not only single individuals, but also an anthill. To do this, it is enough to dig out the anthill and pour the mixture inside. Since ammonia has a deadly effect on ants, the garden will soon be cleared of this pest.
In order to destroy the anthill with a high probability, it is necessary to pour the solution using a hose into a hole 1 meter deep for 30 minutes.
If you want to just eliminate the anthill without killing the inhabitants, it is enough to do the following steps:
- sprinkle it with millet groats and leave it in direct sunlight so that the "hard workers" take the groats to their home;
- after the house of ants, close from the sun and wait for several days;
- after the expiration of time, water the anthill, giving the opportunity to appear on the croup of a fungus that insects do not like.
Important! Ammonia should be used before the formation of a large number of aphids, in case of delay, it is advisable to use stronger drugs.
Get rid of ants with vinegar!
Now there are many products on sale for the destruction of ants in any premises and garden areas. Each owner chooses a product at his discretion: it can be household chemicals or a “grandmother's” recipe, calling a team of exterminators or setting up insect traps.
Among all this diversity, a separate place is occupied by a truly universal composition, which came from the depths of centuries, but has not lost its relevance in our time - this is ordinary table vinegar!
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Ammonia recipes
Ants in a hive: how to get rid of
To show how to use ammonia from ants, here are some recipes.
Death from ammonia fumes
To eliminate the anthill from the site, you need:
- wet the fabric with pharmacy alcohol;
- put the flap on the anthill and cover it with a bag on top;
- wait a few days until the complete disappearance of ammonia from the airspace.
Death by sugar
To understand how to get rid of ants with ammonia, you should familiarize yourself with the following recipe:
- take 10 liters of heated, but not hot water;
- dissolve a spoonful of ammonia and sugar in a liquid in a ratio of 3 to 5;
- irrigate all infected bushes.
Death by ash
Wood ash
To prepare the mixture you need:
- in 10 liters of water, 2 tablespoons of wood ash should be diluted;
- leave for a day for infusion;
- add a spoonful of soap and 2 - ammonia to the resulting solution;
- mix the mixture thoroughly and water well the beds where aphids live.
Water death
To prepare the mixture you need:
- dilute 50 ml of alcohol into 4 liters of water;
- add shabby baby soap to the solution;
- pour the mixture over flowers and flowering plants.
Water and ammonia
The effect of vinegar on ants
Pests do not tolerate the pungent vinegar smell at all, so they try to change their "place of residence" and go to a safer home.In addition, the vinegar scent discourages the pheromones that worker ants use to mark their paths to the food source.
After treatment with a vinegar solution, you can observe how insects move randomly over the surface and cannot find their way to food. The ants begin to starve, they have nothing to feed the larvae, so they leave to find a new, more hospitable home.
There are 2 options for using vinegar to kill insects:
% concentration | The ratio of water and vinegar in solution | Processing method | Places of processing | Result |
Table vinegar 9% | 1:1 | Spraying from a spray bottle | Ant trails, skirting cracks, pipe joints, affected trees and shrubs | A good prophylactic agent - the colony migrates |
Vinegar essence 80% | 1:10 | Solid fill | Nest with queen ant and eggs | Radical remedy - colony dies |
CAUTION! Processing with vinegar essence must be carried out in a respirator to avoid inhalation of poisonous vapors! Gloves are required to protect hands from burns.
Of course, the specific smell of vinegar against pests may not appeal to households and pets, but it will not harm or cause poisoning, unlike modern insecticides.
Folk remedies for domestic ants
House ants can cause a lot of trouble. They can carry infectious diseases by running through the mud and then crawling into food with their soiled paws. And the very sight of ants in a jar of flour or sugar often causes disgust. Fortunately, there are many home remedies for these pests.
Spices and herbs
Ants, like many other insects, react strongly to strong odors. Therefore, to combat them, you can use spices:
- cinnamon;
- pepper (chili, black, or cayenne);
- cloves;
- Bay leaf.
Not all foods in the kitchen are attractive to ants - many spices scare them away.
Dried or fresh herbs are also suitable, such as:
- mint;
- tansy;
- sage;
- fragrant woodruff (jasmine).
Spices are unable to kill insects, but only scare them away. Therefore, it is advisable to sprinkle spices where ants are especially undesirable, for example, in the kitchen. Bunches of herbs can be placed under carpets or behind furniture. Bay leaves can be taped to containers of flour or sugar, which are the most likely to be attacked by ant attacks.
Ammonia
Insects don't like the smell of ammonia. In order to drive the ants out of the house using ammonia, you need:
- Dilute the bottle of the product in a liter of water.
- Treat all desired surfaces and objects with a solution, both outside and inside (primarily in the kitchen, because ants feed there).
- Such processing should be done at the first appearance of ants, since it is more difficult to cope with a large number of insects.
The smell of ammonia is very strong and although it will disappear quickly (after about half an hour), it is undesirable for children, pregnant women and asthmatics, as well as people with other diseases of the respiratory system, to be in the treated room.
Very often, in pursuit of expensive household products, we sometimes do not even realize that there are proven means next to us. Ants got in my house, they advised me to add 100 ml of nashatyr to 1 liter of water and rinse the kitchen furniture with this solution, which I did. Of course, there is a specific smell, but it quickly disappears, and ants will not appear for a long time.
Natasha Chirkova
Boric acid
To fight ants in the house, you can make various bait from boric acid with additives. This substance is poison for ants, but it can also be dangerous for people or pets. Therefore, if small children or animals live in the house, it is better to choose a different recipe or place the bait in places inaccessible to them.
With glycerin
To prepare a sweet bait with glycerin and boric acid, honey and sugar are also required.
- Mix 1/3 teaspoon of boric acid or borax, 2 teaspoons of glycerin, sugar and honey "by eye".
- Pour 1 tbsp into the mixture. a spoonful of water.
- Mix everything.
- Blind balls from the resulting mass.
- Spread out in places attractive to ants, such as in the kitchen.
If there is no boric acid, it can be replaced with brown acid and vice versa - they have the same effect on ants.
With potatoes and yolk
To prepare this bait you need:
- 3 boiled potatoes;
- 3 egg yolks;
- 10 grams of boric acid or borax;
- 1 teaspoon of sugar.
It is necessary to thoroughly mix the ingredients into a homogeneous mass and form balls from it. It is better to take boiled egg yolk, since it is more difficult to sculpt balls with raw. The finished bait is laid out in places where ants are most often found.
This poison also helps against cockroaches.
Boric acid with minced meat works especially well on ants. In our apartment in a 5-storey building, pharaoh ants started up, they lived in the ceilings between floors, I did not save from them until I fed them balls of minced meat with boric acid. The ants brought the poisoned minced meat into their nest and the anthill in the house was finished.
Guest
a piece of chalk
A simple and completely harmless way for people and pets to spoil the life of pests is chalk. They draw barriers in places where access of ants is undesirable. You must repeat the action every time the line is erased. Insects will avoid chalk-smeared places, perceiving them as a kind of barrier. In the garden, this method is difficult to use, since it is easier to draw with chalk on flat surfaces.
Most likely, chalk scares off ants due to the fact that its particles adhere to the legs, thereby slowing down the movement of insects. For greater efficiency, the method is combined with others.
Video: what happens if you draw a circle around the ant with chalk and other substances
Petrolatum
You can use petroleum jelly as a kind of barrier against ants. It will not destroy pests, but it will prevent them from entering a certain place, since insects do not really like to run on slippery and sticky ones. To ruin the life of ants, you need to apply the remedy to:
- the walls of the boxes;
- the outer surface of the cans;
- the edges of pet bowls;
- other vertical surfaces on which ants have been seen.
Minus means - places treated with petroleum jelly will be sticky for people, as a result of contact with them, greasy stains may appear on clothes. For this reason, the product can only be applied where it will not leave any indelible marks.
This method does not work well on horizontal surfaces, as ants are intelligent creatures and can bring in trash to bridge the Vaseline barrier. And some species can make a passage with their own bodies, bogged down in petroleum jelly, until a path is obtained.
Any Vaseline will work as a barrier against ants.
Eggshell
Sometimes eggshells are used in the fight against ants. The inside of the egg is poured out, and it is placed in places chosen by ants. The main thing is not to remove protein residues from the inside of the shell. The effectiveness of the method is controversial, but it continues to be used.
The mechanism of action of this agent on ants is not entirely clear. Better to combine it with other methods. For example, you can take yolks for making bait, and spread the shells around the apartment - so everything will go into business.
Video: how to get rid of ants with home remedies
How to use it correctly?
Ammonia is a necessary help at any site. A similar folk recipe helps to remove insects with virtually no risk to plants and the human body.
An important condition for working with solutions is the use of protective agents.Remember to take precautions and use the solution only in well-ventilated areas, wearing gloves, goggles and a mask.
Attention! It is forbidden to dilute chlorine with ammonia.
What do you need?
It must be remembered that ammonia concentrate is capable of provoking burns of the skin and mucous membranes. It is also dangerous to breathe in fumes as they can cause lung problems. The first step is to acquire the protective equipment provided for in the safe use technique. Protect skin, eyes and respiratory tract.
Depending on the scale of processing, you need to prepare:
- gauze bandage;
- gloves;
- spray bottle (watering can or bucket);
- water;
- soap base.
Spray
As a rule, it is needed when there is a fight not only with ants, but also with aphids, which they are actively spreading. It can be used to poison insects on foliage and trunks of tall trees and medium-sized plants.
Gauze bandage
When using an ammonia-based product, the first step is to protect the respiratory tract. A gauze bandage can prevent steam from entering the body.
Gloves
Also a mandatory element of protection are latex or cotton gloves with rubberized palms and fingers. It is best to maximize their height.
Bucket
It is best to use plastic containers to avoid the interaction of ammonia with metals. The use of buckets will be needed in the fight against parasites that destroy the root system of plants.
Soap
Typically, soap is intended to help the product adhere to foliage and other surfaces. The use of "adhesive" allows you to permanently protect the garden and other area from intruders. Any soap, shampoo or dish detergent can be used as "adhesives".
Water
If it is planned to add not only home ammonia to the composition of the solutions, boiled water should be used. In this case, ammonia will not give any extraneous reactions.
Cooking methods
The ammonia in the fight against ants must be diluted immediately before processing. This is due to the rapid evaporation of ammonia vapors, of which insects are directly afraid. First of all, all components are mixed in water, the proportions are always used differently. When the mixture is ready to use, you can pour in the ammonia. Destruction of uninvited guests is carried out using an aqueous solution of ammonia, which can be bought at the pharmacy.
Against ants
The following proportions help to rid the area of pests:
8 liters of boiled water will need 1 tbsp. a spoonful of ammonia. This solution should be left to infuse for 15-20 minutes. When the mixture is uniform, it can be used to treat areas with insects. Such a weak remedy can be used during the flowering and fruiting period, since it does not harm the plants.
Against aphids
To save the plants from the attack of aphids, it is also recommended to treat them with an aqueous solution of ammonia. The following recipe is used:
- Mix 2 tablespoons of alcohol, 2 tablespoons of tar soap shavings and 10 liters of water. Soap can replace fairies or shampoo. At the same time, gardeners say that tar soap enhances the effectiveness of the solution.
- All components dissolve well in water. All affected plants are treated with a spray bottle. Healthy trees can be treated for prevention.
- In the process of spraying, it is especially necessary to carefully treat the lower part of the foliage, where the parasite lives most.
Attention! Processing is carried out in the absence of the sun during the daytime or in the evening after sunset. To permanently protect the crop from aphids, spraying is carried out every two weeks. Ornamental plants can also be protected with a similar solution.
Sugar solution
The soap in the spray can be replaced with a sugar solution.To process plants, you will need 3 tablespoons of alcohol, 5 tablespoons of sugar and a bucket of water. Mix everything well and spray using a spray bottle.
Prophylaxis
Against ants in the garden and in the garden, ammonia can be used for preventive purposes. To do this, prepare the following mixture: dilute 10 ml of alcohol in a bucket of water and water the plants with this solution weekly. So you can not only get rid of pests, but also scare them away forever.
Spraying
Spraying with ammonia helps fertilize plants and fight parasites. To do this, it is enough to use a weak solution - 1 spoonful of alcohol per 8 liters of water.
Starch
The principle of action of this substance is approximately the same as that of semolina. Only now no one will eat it just like that. But do not despair - you just need to pour starch near the place of accumulation of insects, and put a container with a bait in the center - a spoonful of honey, jam, syrup. Then he will surely stick to the paws of all individuals making their way to the treat. Cleaning it off, the ant will swallow a sufficient amount, and take the remains to the colony, thus poisoning its fellow tribesmen.
Alternative options
Housewives are well aware of other means of dealing with such a scourge as insects. This is salt, and other simple and improvised means. Below are the methods of pest control that are most in demand among our population.
Option number 1
Home remedies in this case can be selected from the following list:
- cinnamon;
- lemon juice;
- mint;
- harsh perfume;
- talcum powder from baby powder.
Each of them allows you to get rid of ants through exposure to a strong odor, which can scare away insects so much that they will not dare to return here ever again.
Option number 2
The smell of coffee grounds is no less effective. It also allows you to get rid of pests once and for all. This smell is extremely attractive to insects. And the whole secret lies in the fact that coffee grounds are a real ... poison for them. Diligent laborers bring it to the anthill and feed it to the uterus, with the death of which the infrastructure of the insect center is destroyed.
Option number 3
Soap also has harmful components. It destroys the protective layer of the insect's skeleton, which dies very quickly from dehydration.
To get rid of pests with this tool, you just need to prepare soap shavings or a highly concentrated soap solution - and use the finished product.
Option number 4
Many people manage to get rid of adversity with the help of such a mechanical means as duct tape. In the blink of an eye, ants stick to the tape that beckons them. Powdered sugar and other convenient sweet foods can be used as bait. The regularity of using the tape in the apartment: as needed.
Corn meal against ants
Not to say that this is a very effective insect repellent. Result from corn flour doubtful, and its achievement is time consuming. The principle of operation is based on the fact that ants love the smell of this product, but here digest him they unable.
Thus, the work of the digestive system is disrupted, as a result of which the pests die. Flour should be laid out in small piles near the places where insects accumulate. The method has a number of disadvantages.:
- it is not a fact that the many-legged ones will gladly rush to pick corn;
- for the death of a colony, it is necessary that each individual taste the treat;
- cornmeal can attract other pests such as cockroaches.
Whether or not flour is used is up to you, but remember that the result does not always meet expectations... Optimal solution - use her together with other insecticides, best of all chemical.
Yeast and ants
Some people are dubious about this remedy, but in fact it really is destroys ants, and quite cruel. In the body of an insect, they cause reaction with massive gas evolution... As a result all metabolic processes are disrupted, the ant is paralyzed, after which it dies.
IN clean form to use yeast is pointless, you need to use bait. More recipes for preparing products are considered here.
Boric acid
For of people she is harmless and even used as a medicine. Ants the same dying from boric acid massively and fast (if used correctly). The substance is inexpensive, so there will be no problems with acquiring the poison. Just like yeast it is pointless to use in its pure form - ants are afraid of the smell.
Everything recipes based on the creation mouth-watering balls from different components. The substance is active fast and securely, but sometimes the technique fails - ants have the property adapt to some toxic substances. Read more about this folk remedy here.
Land pest control rules
To start processing a vegetable garden or garden, you should search for an anthill. If it is not destroyed, the vinegar solution will not help get the ants out.
A deep hole must be made in the anthill. You can pour the solution from a bucket or bottle. One anthill will take about a liter of pest control mixture. To enhance the effect of the product, it is worth tightly covering the insect structure with plastic wrap. Thanks to it, air will not flow, ants will not be able to get out of the structure, and vinegar vapors will evaporate much longer. The film can only be removed after 3 days.
Important! If the ants survived the pest control, the treatment must be repeated. Your best bet is to use a stronger recipe like baking soda and vinegar or concentrated acid.
After processing the anthill, the paths with which the pests walked in search of food should be sprayed from the spray bottle. Then the lower leaves of trees and shrubs, as well as growing vegetables are processed. For these purposes, it is best to choose a weak solution.
Reasons for the appearance of ants
You can often find these seemingly harmless insects next to us in our own, separate apartment, in the garden beds. Why are we so attractive to them?
Photo of ants in the house
Ants live in colonies and are highly organized. First, scout ants visit our home, explore how attractive the habitat next to us is for them. Is there a source of constant food for them in our apartment? Crumbs on the table, an uncovered jar of honey - all these are excellent food for an ant colony. Pipes, cracks in walls, floors, windows - can become convenient routes for unexpected guests.
Sometimes we ourselves bring ants into our house along with houseplants, seedlings or soil. These insects can move from neighbors who have begun an active struggle with them.
Photo of ants on indoor flowers
Ants can come to us along with fruits and vegetables bought at the market or brought from our own garden.
These insects are always looking for food, and they are primarily interested in meat and delicacies:
honey, jam, candy, sugar, etc. In any case, the reason for their appearance next to a person is most often precisely the opportunity to profit from something tasty, to feed on the whole ant family along with the uterus. Do not leave dirty dishes, garbage, crumbs, all this attracts ants.