Want to know how to get rid of ants in carpet? Get the answers to this question by way of this informative article that contains many home remedies for ant removal.
What Are Ants?
With more than twelve thousand varieties, ants are social insects, available in numerous colors, and sizes ranging from 0.08 to 1 inch. These creatures are popular as they can hold 10-50 times more than their body mass. Ants are a vital part of the ecosystem, and most of them are a serious nuisance to homeowners, but some species such as carpenter ants, ghost ants, and fire ants damage house structures, landscaping and wreak havoc inside the home. If you’re also bothered by ants, especially due to their presence on your carpet, keep reading till the end to know how to get rid of ants in carpet.
What Attracts Ants to the Carpet?
Ants get attracted to the carpet when they find food particles, sugar, spills of milk, and fruit juices on the carpet. Furthermore, dead bodies of insects are also a major reason behind their sudden appearance on the carpet.
How to Get Rid of Ants in Carpet?
Although ants are not life-threatening to human beings, they spread harmful disease-causing pathogens by contaminating the food sources, and not to mention, bites of some of their species are very painful. That’s why use the below natural methods to keep ants far away from your carpet.
1. Try Borax
All you need is a handful of borax to make your carpet free from the swarm of ants. It’s all possible because of borax’s desiccant nature. This hack works as a slow poison, when ants ingest the bait, they’ll die slowly, but in the meantime, ants also bring the bait to their colony, thus eliminating their nest in the process.
How-to
Make a lethal bait by combining 1/2 cup of maple syrup, 2 tbsps of borax, and a cup of lukewarm water in a bowl. Then, saturate a few cotton balls in it, store them in a mason jar, and poke a hole in its lid. Once it’s done, place the jar on the carpet to see the magic. As it’s a slow-acting remedy, you’ve to use this remedy regularly for a few days to see positive results.
2. Peppermint Essential Oil
If you want a more humane way to say goodbye to ants instead of killing them, try peppermint essential oil, it deters ants from the carpet. Peppermint has a strong, sharp scent that irritates the ants.
How-to
Fill a spray bottle with 10-20 drops of peppermint oil and a quart of distilled water to make the spray. Shake a bit and spray it all over the carpet.
3. Use Vacuum Cleaner
Using a vacuum cleaner is perhaps the most effective and cheapest way to eliminate ants from the carpet. This method not only eliminates all kinds of ants but other insects and food crumbs as well that attract ants to the carpet in the first place.
4. Boric Acid
According to this lab study, boric acid is enough to eradicate ghost ants, queen, and their colony. This hack works like the borax trick, use it when you’re running out of borax. However, it’s not a quick way to fix ant problem.
How-to
Like the borax trick, prepare a poisonous bait by adding equal parts of boric acid and honey into a bowl. Next, submerge a couple of cotton balls in this solution and put them strategically over the carpet.
Safety Precautions
While handling the above products to annihilate the pesky ants, don’t forget to follow the below precautions to avoid any mishaps.
- If you happen to have children, elderly, and pets, guide them to maintain a safe distance from the treated area.
- Keep yourself safe by wearing goggles, a face mask, full-sleeved clothing, and hand gloves.
- Give a thorough wash to your hands after using the ant removal hacks. If possible, take a quick bath or shower.
- If you’re pregnant or lactating or have any health condition, avoid these remedies.
How to Prevent Ants Infestation?
To avoid ants infestation in the near future, do follow the below ants prevention tips.
- Discard food waste and clean the kitchen counter thoroughly.
- Keep all the eatables, especially sugary ones, packed in airtight containers.
- Don’t leave the kitchen sink full of dirty dishes, keep it squeaky clean.
- Use silicone caulk to repair all the holes, gaps, and cracks to inhibit their entrance.
- Always keep the firewood a few inches above the ground in a shed at a safe distance from foundation walls.
- Get rid of food spillage promptly and run vacuum thereafter.
- Eliminate the clutter from your yard.
- Empty and wash the trash cans daily.
- Invest in window screens, and door sweeps to halt ants’ movements.
- Fix broken pipes, hoses, taps and get rid of standing water quickly as ants love to dwell in moisture.
- Keep the basement, attics, and other crawling spaces moisture-free.
- Clean your pet food bowl and throw the remaining food particles.
When to Call a Professional?
Unfortunately, if the above natural remedies fail to do their work or you’re facing a severe ant infestation, hiring a pest exterminator is the last resort. Remember that the above methods are effective against only mild ant infestation.
Final Thoughts
Although fighting against ants is quite a cumbersome task but with the above hacks, you can do it quite easily. Besides, if you’re bothered by the fire ants, try out this hack to make your property free from these pesky insects.