Ants aren’t generally considered a nuisance as they don’t bite humans and don’t carry diseases. However, they do walk through a variety of unappealing things on the ground and, if they are walking in your kitchen, they could be spreading bacteria onto the surfaces where you prepare food.
Techniques to eliminate ants in the kitchen
In short, you don’t want them in your home and, if you find them, you need to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Here are the techniques to eliminate ants in the kitchen.
Get professional help
The most obvious solution is to contact your local pest control company and get them to deal with the issue for you. They are trained in dealing with all types of infestation and they have the tools needed to eliminate the issue.
You can learn more here about your local expert and how they deal with ants. But, one thing is certain, they will eliminate them from your kitchen.
Vinegar & water
The first thing to do is create a mixture of vinegar and water, equal amounts of both. You can even use neat vinegar if you wish. However, it must be white vinegar as this kills ants. Spray the vinegar directly onto the ants to kill them.
The water and vinegar mixture can be used to spray on all the surfaces where the ants have been. This spray removes the bacteria they carry on their feet and deletes the scent trail they leave behind. That means they’ll find it harder to locate your sugary treats again.
Put food in containers
The next step is to put all open packets of food in containers. This prevents them from attracting the ants. Although it doesn’t kill the ants it does stop them from coming in. After all, if there is nothing that appeals to them then the ants will go elsewhere.
Water & dish soap
This is another effective mixture that is easy to create at home. Simply mix a few drops of dish soap with warm water and put it into a spray bottle. This can then be used to spray on the ants as it suffocates them. You can also use it to clean where they have been. Again, you’ll be eliminating the scent trail.
Sealing gaps
Ants may be attracted to your home but they need to get in somewhere. The most obvious spot is under doors and gaps around windows. Look carefully around your home, inside and out, when you locate any gaps simply seal them closed, effectively stopping ants from getting into your home.
Find the nest
The ultimate way of stopping a current invasion is to locate the nest. You’ll need to watch the ants see where they go to and from, this will tell you where the nest is. You can then use chemicals or boiling water to kill the nest and eliminate the issue for good.
Final words
Of course, preventative measures such as sealing gaps and putting food in containers are still important, they can prevent a future invasion from a different ant colony.
