With summer at a close and colder winter months ahead, many insect families will be on the hunt for additional food sources and shelter. If you’re having an ant problems, spider problems or other pest infestation problem, we’ve compiled a few of the most effective ways to handle your insect problem in-house.
5 safe and easy ways to rid ants from your Santa Barbara home
- Vinegar / Water Solution – This solution made up of equal parts water and vinegar can be used just about anywhere in the home and has proven successful in repelling ant colonies with its unfavorable odor and flavor. Simply add the solution to a spray bottle and apply to any ant trails you find as well as the perimeter of your house. Re-apply as needed.
- Lemon Juice – Lemon juice has found to be an excellent deterrent of ants and other insects. Working especially well on ants, you can use this as a barrier around the perimeter of your house that ants wont cross for days. You can use either lemon juice concentrate that is usually found in a squeeze bottle or mix up your own using 2 parts lemon juice and one part water. Add the mixture to a spray bottle and apply to existing ant trails as well as the perimeter of your home. Reapply as necessary.
- Diatomaceous Earth – This method of ant control can be highly effective! Spread diatomaceous earth around the ant trails and other points of entry so that the ants have to walk directly through it and you’ll notice fewer and fewer of them every day. DE works by damaging the ants’ exoskeleton and causing them to simply dry out. Apply the powder regularly until your ant problem is gone!
- Mint – Mint is a natural ant repellent. Its’ strong odor disrupts the ants’ sense of smell so it has a harder time sticking to their chemical trail and also have a harder time finding food. All you need for this is a bottle of mint essential oil and a spray bottle. Add 10 drops of the mint essential oil to every cup of water and apply liberally to the affected surfaces, twice a day at first then once a day until your ant problem disappears!
- Grant’s Ant Stakes – Highly effective when used properly, Grant’s Ant Stakes work in ways that other home remedies and DIY options don’t by stopping the queen from reproducing and effectively killing off the colony. Able to be used both vertically and horizontally, these bait stakes are attractive to scout ants who then take the bait back to the colony. Once in the colony, the bait is fed to the queen, rendering her unable to reproduce. The pros of this method are that this product has the potential to take out entire colonies. The cons of this product are that the results are not instantaneous and may take weeks to see noticeable results.
Preventative measures Santa Barbara residents can take to make your home less appetizing to ants and other insects.
- Put away food in sealable containers – Never leave food out for extended periods of time. Once you’re done with it, put it away!
- Keep your kitchen areas clean – Cleaning your kitchen regularly prevents your unwelcome guests from feeding themselves and their colony!
- Sweep and vaccum your living spaces regularly – Food almost always drops on the floor which is perfect for any ants in your home. Keeping your floors and carpets free of food particles encourages your visitors to look elsewhere for food.
- Seal your entry points – Use caulking to seal any obvious entry points.
Still can’t get rid of your ant problem? Call Us for professional help.
While many times these home remedies will assist in getting your ant problem under control, they are by no means foolproof. If your ant infestation doesn’t bat an eyelash with any of these quick and easy treatments, it may be time to call us for some professional Santa Barbara pest control assistance. Our team of pest control experts have years of experience in exterminating these pests and can help you take back control of your home or other property from ants, spiders and other pests.