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Ants are truly a marvel! Over 8000 species are known throughout the world. The Bible speaks of ants as teaching lessons about planning, preparing, and working. They can certainly teach us much.

However, we don’t want the classroom in our children’s play areas, in the cupboard, or, in fact, in the house at all. Yet, how to get rid of ants often seems to be an enigma.

Let’s discuss some safe and reliable methods of keeping ants out of the house. First, without the use of chemicals, much can be done to discourage their presence. Caulk holes where ants might enter, vacuum regularly, be careful not to leave sticky jars out, don’t leave food items out. Ant traps are available at most hardware stores and can be effective with small problems. Sticky strips catch the ants as they move. But, as successful as these might be, they don’t deal with the source of the problem.

To really succeed, you must get rid of the queen. She is the lifeblood of the colony. But this requires you to first locate the nest. Track the ants. Note where the ants are headed, once they have a crumb of food. Check for signs where ants converge in large numbers.

Once the nest is located, you are ready to get rid of it. This will probably require spraying. Here are some of the common outdoor nest insecticides: bifenthrin as granules, permethrin as a liquid or granules, acephate as a liquid, carbaryl as a liquid or granules, and cyfluthrin as granules. Make sure the nest is thoroughly treated as ants can dig deep into the ground and remain unaffected by some poisons. Treating the nest with gasoline, with fire, or trying to drown it with water does not usually solve the problem.

Spraying the house exterior with contact insecticides may also solve your problem. Some common ones are carbaryl as a liquid or granules, permethrin as a liquid or granules, bifenthrin as a liquid, deltamethrin as a dust, and cyfluthrin as granules. The size of your house may necessitate your calling on a pest control firm to do this for you. This may also be necessary if the nest is located in a wall or other hidden place.

Another effective method is setting out bates. These are poisons that smell like food to the ant. They therefore take them back to the colony and share them with everyone. This may kill the queen as well and end the problem. Common bates are disodium octaborate, Fipronil, sulfluramid, orthoboric acid, propoxur, and abamectin. Be sure to follow the instructions on the label.

Of course, you will want to be careful using poisons, especially around children and pets. For this reason, a serious infestation will probably warrant calling for the services of a reliable pest control firm. These people are trained to know just how to use insecticides in a way that is safe for you and your family.

If you’re located in the Eastern Wisconsin area, I’d highy recommend the services of Prompt Action Pest Control. They have been providing full service pest control in Siren for over 35 years. Just visit http://www.promptactionpest.com/ or call 1 (877) 877-6678 today.