You’ve probably seen small red ants that appear to crawl along the ground in a line. These ants are often larger than the typical black ant that you might see in the house or the brown ants that simply carry food and make trails in the yard. They are fire ants, and if you are unfortunate enough to get a bite from one, then you’ll know why they have their name. Fortunately, there are a few fire ant control techniques that you can use around the home to keep the ants away or to a minimum.
Fighting With Fire
Cayenne pepper can be spread around the home to help keep fire ants away. They like sweet foods and items that have more of a savory flavor instead of foods that are spicy. This is like treating a fire with another fire, causing the lives of the ants to be near impossible if they try to eat the pepper.
Lemon Water
Mix lemon juice and water in a spray bottle to use as a deterrent for the ants. You want to find the source of the ants before spraying. It’s best to spray the mixture on a line of the ants as they will carry the water on their backs to the home. When the other ants get the water on them, then they will die or avoid the area that was sprayed.
Aromatic Delights
The smell of vinegar is intoxicating for some people. It’s also a deterrent for ants. All you have to do is mix a solution of vinegar and water together to spray in areas of the home where you see the ants. You also want to spray areas outside along carport floors and walls to keep the insects from getting inside once again. White vinegar is best as apple cider vinegar often has a sweeter smell that the ants are attracted to instead of what they avoid.
Dish Detergent
This might be a soapy solution, but it can help in keeping fire ants and other small insects out of the home. You can put a small amount of dish soap on a sponge to smear across surfaces in the home where ants are suspected to invade or where they have been seen. You can also pour dish detergent down an ant hole to drown them as the liquid makes it hard for them to breathe, causing them to suffocate.
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