Why do black ants appear in the house and how to get rid of them?

The owners of private houses often meet black ants, they also appear in apartments - these insects penetrate into the dwelling, regardless of its size and degree of grooming. Such a neighborhood is not only unpleasant, but also dangerous, since ants are carriers of serious diseases. Therefore, it is not surprising that everyone tries to remove them as quickly as possible.

The appearance of black ants in the house brings a lot of experiences to its owners. Why do they come to people at all? It's simple - in a human home at any time of the year it is dry, warm, and there is also sufficient food and water. Usually, insects actively migrate from the streets to houses in the fall, when the temperature drops and a series of prolonged rains sets in. The likelihood of these uninvited guests increases when the premises have unhindered access to food. Unwashed dishes in the sink, crumbs on the table, food supplies in the pantry, open trash bags and a dripping faucet in the kitchen - all this creates comfortable living conditions for ants. The food of black ants is based on proteins and carbohydrates, so they can feed on absolutely everything that “lies badly”, from fruits, cereals and sugar to houseplants, old books and even wallpaper glue.

In apartment buildings, the likelihood of unwanted neighbors is lower, especially on the top floors. However, in recent years, these six-legged aggressors have managed to adapt to changing conditions and have begun to actively explore the urban environment. They have learned to navigate the interweaving of engineering communications - they crawl into apartments from basements, through sewer pipes, through ventilation and from neighbors. For nests, black ants choose hidden places that are inaccessible. Most often, the family hides under parquet, behind a baseboard, under a tile, in cracks and cracks, as well as in interfloor ceilings.

In their natural habitat, black ants eat weak individuals and destroy the bodies of dead insects. Therefore, some do not understand what their harm is. But, this enemy should not be underestimated - both in the country and in a city apartment you can expect a lot of trouble from him.

So, on a personal plot, they grow aphids, which feed on the vital juices of garden crops, leading to their withering and death. Ants cause great damage to the roots of plants, they gnaw on leaves, berries and roots. Bacteria adhere to their paws, which they spread throughout the site and infect soil and plants. Many owners of country houses ennoble their backyard territory - if black ants have settled on the site, then you can simply forget about aesthetic landscape design.

Black ants are a great danger in homes.

• In the human home, they become carriers of such dangerous diseases as helminthiasis, salmonellosis, cholera and typhoid fever.
• The ants take away the remains of food throughout the room, creating "pantries" - in them they hide food for their relatives. Over time, food begins to rot.This contributes to the growth of mold, mildew and pathogens.
• Ants cannot carry large pieces of food into their bins, but a cookie or a piece of bread left on the table can be disassembled into crumbs and taken to places where their supplies are stored.
• Insects can damage upholstery and clothing. Items made from silk, cashmere and other natural fabrics are most often affected.

Chasing the black ants out is not easy. They hide their female in hard-to-reach places, while multiplying very quickly. To fight the population in your home, you have to literally poison them. Usually chemical methods are used for this, but "grandmother's" methods also give a good effect.

Black ants cannot stand strong odors. To scare them away, the owners of summer cottages and private houses often plant cloves, peppermint, wormwood, lavender, field chamomile and elderberry around the perimeter of the dwelling. Murashi do not tolerate the smell of spices:

• cinnamon;
• red pepper;
• carnations;
• garlic;
• anise.

For apartment owners, you can coat all baseboards and gaps between floors with garlic. A good effect is given by an aroma lamp filled with lavender or citrus oils, and in places of a large accumulation of insects, it will not hurt to scatter crushed wormwood. Treatment with a vinegar solution also helps - for this, 1 tbsp is diluted in a bucket of water. l. essences.

To lime the ants, starch is poured in places where they accumulate, and a container with jam, honey, syrup or other delicacy is placed in the center - it will serve as a bait. Getting into the digestive organ of the ant, the starch swells and causes the death of the insect.

Boric acid helps to etch the six-legged ones. To make the bait, it is mixed with honey and laid out in places where a population of ants has been found. The bait should be renewed every 5-7 days, since the dry mixture does not cause any reaction in black individuals.

A good effect is given by a mixture of boric acid with sugar syrup in a proportion of 2 g of acid per 2 tbsp. l. treats. The resulting composition attracts ants and makes them crawl out of hidden places. They go for a sweet smell and eat boric acid, which is poison for them. As a result, the insects die on their own, and then infect other ants that feed on their corpses.

A good effect is given by the treatment of windows, walls, baseboards and places of entry into the house of utilities with kerosene. It removes the smell that makes ants look for their way into the house. but such a method will not give a long-term effect if there are gaps in the dwelling - first you need to close up small gaps, and only after that carry out the processing.

When the black guests appeared, our grandparents boiled potatoes, mixed them with egg yolks, added a little sugar and a couple of bags of boric acid to the resulting puree. The resulting mass was rolled into balls and placed in places where insects move. The action of such a poison lasts up to 10-14 days.

If there are too many insects, it makes sense to use professional products. They can be found at any hardware store, and at affordable prices. They are presented in several forms.

• Powder. The most common form of ant control in the garden and vegetable garden. Usually sold in cylindrical tubes. Basically, they differ from each other in the principle of action. For example, Hector ant powder destroys the entire colony, starting a chain reaction from almost one ant. The insect cannot resist the sweet aroma of granules containing, in addition to the bait, a poisonous substance. Having eaten the pellet, the infected ant returns home, where it spreads poison among the rest of its relatives. Thus, the poison gradually destroys the entire colony, reaching the queen herself. For best results, sprinkle the powder in dry weather near nests, along their paths and along their beds.

• Gel. Toxic to ants, but absolutely safe for households and four-legged pets. The contents of the tube are carefully squeezed out and evenly distributed over the surface to be treated. Murashi eat the poison, but they do not die immediately, but manage to "treat" their relatives with the remedy. With proper use of the tool, you can get rid of uninvited guests in a month. The most effective are gels of the Clobol, Shturm and Raptor brands. Russian trains "Mashenka" and "Clean House" are in high demand.
• Spray and liquid. Liquid products have an increased concentration, in order to form a working solution, they are diluted with water. Sprays are sold ready-to-use, they contain nerve agents that lead to the death of ants. These formulations are sprayed from a spray bottle or applied with a brush. The result after processing the home can last up to six months. Best of all, Masterlak, Get, and DEET have proven themselves.
• Aerosols. It is an “ambulance” that allows you to get rid of insects through direct contact with them. When using an aerosol, a jet with a poisonous substance is directed at the six-legged, and they instantly die. Such means are resorted to if ants with wings have settled in the house. According to consumer reviews, the best result is achieved when using Raid, Combat, MultiSpray and Fumitox aerosols.

After a certain time, the house is ventilated and the surfaces are washed with a cleaning solution. It should be borne in mind that black ants are able to form resistance, that is, addiction to the drug. Therefore, different formulations should be used to affect insects.

The disadvantage of using chemicals is that they are temporary. The fact is that the female, together with the laid larvae, are usually located in the very depths of the colony. When workers sense danger, they immediately carry it as far as possible. Therefore, even having eliminated most of the ants, you will not solve the problem - if the female remains alive, then a new colony will appear very soon. If the treatment with chemical and folk remedies did not lead to the complete expulsion of ants from the house, it makes sense to contact specialized companies. The working compounds they use kill not only the worker ants, but also eliminate the female.

To get ants out of the house, traps are used. They can be purchased at any hardware store and placed in insect areas. However, it is important to make sure that the pets in the house do not get there first. There are several types of traps.

• Sticky. It is a paper box with a sticky composition applied to it. They are usually placed near trash bins and slots. You can make such a trap yourself; for this, use ordinary cardboard and double-sided tape.
• Electrical. In this case, the pest crawls into the trap. There, a current acts on him and leads to the instant death of the six-legged. This method of killing ants demonstrates consistently high efficiency.
• Poisonous. Such traps are safe for people and pets, but they are fraught with death for ants. Usually, the poisonous substance is located in a plastic container inside the structure.The use of such traps gives a high result - after a few days you will notice that the insects have disappeared and have ceased to annoy the household with their appearance.

In order not to waste your nerves, time and family budget on the extermination of black ants, you should use prevention methods and block their access to the personal plot and living quarters. Preventing the appearance of insects is much easier than looking for a way to destroy them later. Fighting black ants should be done regularly. First of all, this applies to personal plots and flower beds, since it is from there that they move to people's houses. Home protection measures.

• Regular use of scented essential oils, chlorinated solution or concentrated vinegar. Their scent will scare away black ants and many other insects.
• Keeping the kitchen and dining room tidy. The dishes must be clean, all products must be stored tightly closed in specially designated places. Do not leave uneaten food on the table and empty the trash bin promptly.
• Sealing all cracks in the floor, on the ceiling and at the entrance to the communications house. If necessary, cosmetic repairs should be carried out.
• If old bushes and branches of fruit trees are located close to the windows, they must be cut down. Otherwise, the ants will make their nests there and move to the dwelling.

The owners of summer cottages and private houses should pay attention to the prevention of the personal plot. It includes the following activities.

• Destruction of weeds and dry plants. If you notice an anthill, pour boiling water over it and sprinkle it with boric acid on top.
• Every spring and autumn, it is necessary to dig up the soil and treat the area with special fungicidal preparations.
• All driftwood, rotten tree stumps and wood debris should be removed as they are likely habitats for black ants.