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Killing ants is harder than it sounds, but you can kill them sustainably

Edited and resized image of MD_JERRY, is available on Unsplash

Killing ants is harder than it sounds. Without proper maintenance, you could end up having to kill ants forever. Knowing how to wipe out ants in your home, on the other hand, is a simpler task. Common and natural materials such as salt, vinegar, lemon, water and others can be mixed to keep ants out of your home.

The application is made in the passage of ants, in entrances such as holes or cracks or in the main focus. There are several possible combinations of natural insecticide that you can prepare at home.

The use of chemical substances, such as pesticides, although efficient to kill ants, as a rule is harmful to health and can also contaminate the environment. In addition to the bad smell and toxicity when inhaled, when they reach the ground, these substances are capable of contaminating it, as well as groundwater or water wells that supply homes.

In agriculture, the use of these chemicals to fight pests ends up creating risks for consumers of these foods, who do not always take the necessary precautions to decontaminate non-organic products. Take the opportunity and check out some tips on how to end this risk in the article: "Get rid of pesticides in a sustainable way".

Another common way of applying pesticides is to combat some domestic insects, such as ants - insects that, when traveling through contaminated places, such as garbage and sewage, become mechanical vectors of pathogenic organisms, which can cause various diseases, especially those related to gastrointestinal problems.

The most common solution is the application of insecticides, but these pose risks equivalent to those mentioned above. As an alternative to these substances, there are some more sustainable and ecological ways, such as the use of biodegradable materials. Follow here some tips that can help to get rid of ants.

Basically, the ingredients you will need to get rid of ants are: salt, lemon, vinegar and water in equal measures, orange peel with water, petroleum jelly, cayenne pepper, chalk, duct tape, cornmeal, cinnamon (powdered or spray), peppermint essential oil, refined sugar, coffee grounds, boiling water, baking soda and vinegar.

You can use these ingredients in two different methods: direct application and preventative.

Direct application with natural ingredients

• Spray the ants with equal measures of water and vinegar. The low pH of the mixture should eliminate them without damaging the furniture, remembering that vinegar and baking soda are also great ingredients for cleaning surfaces.
• When you see ants, use adhesive tape over it and press it with your fingers, repeating the process until the end of the tape glue and capture as many ants as possible.
• Feed them corn flour. This natural method is effective in killing ants, as cornmeal makes it difficult for ants to digest, causing them to die.
• In the main focus, pour hot soapy water to kill most of the ants.

Techniques for killing ants

Identify the route that the ants take and try to find their origin. Look for areas in your home that can serve as entrances for ants. This includes holes, windows, animal entry doors, cracks. Once these areas are found, use some of these prevention techniques:

• Sprinkle salt on flat surfaces such as windows. Unlike sugar, ants won't bother you anymore.
• Draw barriers with chalk. With the chalk stuck to the walls and cracks in the doors, the ants will give up entering because they don't like the calcium carbonate present in the chalk.
• Squeeze lemon on edges that are exposed to the outdoors. The strong citrus scent of the lemon will scare away the ants.
• Cover crevices and crevices occupied by ants with cayenne pepper. But do this out of reach of pets so they don't try to sniff or lick the pepper.
• On larger surfaces, spray the mixture of water and vinegar.
• Spread orange peels around the foundation of your house or in the anthills. Again, with the citrus scent of the fruit the ants must flee.
• Run Vaseline along the edges of your containers. Use this in your pets' bowls which, as they are in contact with the ground, can attract a lot of ants. With this, they will no longer bother your pet when it is eating.
• Cloves also help to scare away ants. Just add a little inside the sugar bowl and on the plates that are around the cakes and you can quickly get rid of ants.
• Cinnamon powder can be placed around where they arise. It's easy to clean after application and ants hate small debris in their path. Cinnamon oil in spray it's great for spraying around places that serve as an access and path for insects.
• Spray peppermint essential oil around windows, doors, sinks and other walkways and walkways. In addition to the benefit of combating ants, the product leaves a pleasant aroma in the place. The same procedure done with water and liquid mint soap also works.
• Amazingly, in addition to carrying food, ants also carry acidic substances for their protection. To combat this, mix baking soda and refined sugar in a plastic lid and deposit in strategic places.
• Spend coffee grounds on cracks and holes that can provide shelter for ants.
• Spread wheat cream around anthills or on paths these insects make. The ants will feed on the cream and, due to the composition, will undergo an expansion process that will lead to their death.

Another effective method to get rid of ants is to keep the house clean. Do not leave crumbs on the floor and frequently clean your countertop, especially the kitchen one.

Also remember that ants are part of the food chain. Don't eliminate everyone who lives in your neighborhood, focus on protecting just your home.

Watch a video demonstrating these techniques (in English):

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