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How to get rid of ants

Why do we get ants in summer?

Before you can learn how to get rid of ants we need to know why we get them. Ants spend their winters hibernating after having eaten large amounts of food and living off the stored fat. However, when Spring arrives ants wake up hungry. Ants have to work hard during the summer to forage enough food to make it through the winter. This is why you notice an increased presence of ants at this time of the year.

Ants favour kitchens, bathrooms and pantries because they provide them with exactly the food they need. However, if they are proving to be a real pest in your kitchen, don’t worry. We have the solution and the best products to get rid of ants.

How can I reduce the chance of an ant infestation ?

The main advice we give to all people who want to how to get rid of ants in the Summer is to maintain good kitchen hygiene. That means cleaning up properly after meals, keeping rubbish bins clean and wiping down surfaces. This is essential to keep ants away.

We would also recommend being proactive during the summer period to reduce the chance of an ant infestation by placing ant bait stations in the most common areas ants are found e.g. kitchens and pantries. We would also advise you to sealing up any holes or cracks in exterior and interior walls. The harder you make it for the ants to get in the less chance of having an infestation.

I have an ant problem, what now ?

If you already have an ant problem, do not worry. Check out the following solutions on how to get rid of ants.

  • Residual Sprays – These ant sprays leave a fine film of insecticide for varying lengths of time after spraying. Ants cross the barrier and carry the insecticide with them, succumbing to it soon after. These sprays are more stable when exposed to air, light or other influences and provide a residual solution to your ant problem. Pay particular attention to areas where pipes enter the building. This will help control the ant infestation you have.
  • Residual Insecticide Dust – These ant killer powders are perfect for dusting into dry but hard to access areas such as floorboards, behind skirtings and cracks and crevices. Also for treating behind electrical sockets where spraying is unadvisable.
  • Poison Bait Stations and Gels – The best way to eliminate a colony but patience is needed. Two or more ant traps should be placed in areas ants are seen foraging for food. The ant will find the station and take some bait back to the colony and soon the whole colony will feed on the poison and be eliminated.

Types of ants which infest UK homes

There are five types of commonly found ants in homes and gardens throughout the UK. These are:

  • The Garden Ant – These are primarily found in gardens. They prefer to build nests in soil or beneath paving stones. These ants have a sweet tooth but enjoy high protein food such as meat and pet food.
  • Roger’s Ant – These small reddish-brown ants do not follow or leave trails for others because they hunt their pray. They build nests in damp areas e.g. around drains or behind cracked kitchen tiles.
  • Pharaoh’s Ant – The most common type of ant found in the home. They build nests indoors and will swarm for any source of food with high protein e.g. meat, fat, dead insects and blood. Each colony supports multiple queens which means they populate very quickly.
  • Ghost Ants – These ants are tiny and almost translucent. They tend to build nests in moist areas such as behind bathroom cabinets and under kitchen sinks.
  • Pavement Ants – These little dark ants are common in Summer and if they nest indoors they swarm all year long. These ants eat whatever they can find.

Read more: Ant Identification

Effective products

We sell a range of ant killer products including ant killer spraysant killer powders and ant killer traps. Below are some of our handpicked recommendations.

Product 1: Residex P Powder

Residex P Powder is a surface residual ant dusting powder and is suitable for the control of crawling insects at rest indoors and out.Should only be used in dry conditions and is ideal for dusting into cracks and crevices.

Product 2: Ant Bait Station Kit

  • Ant Bait Station Kit
    £26.88

This indoor ant bait station kit is ideal to eradicate ants in your home. The kit comes with five bait stations, a 30g tube of SX Ant Gel and a 100g drum of Residex P. It kills ants quickly and effectively and soon eradicates the whole nest.

Product 3: Oa2ki Organic Insect Spray

  • Sale! Oa2ki Organic Ant Spray 500ml
    £8.46£22.02

The Oa2ki Insect Spray is a ready to use organic insect control agent ideal for dealing with ant infestations. The natural ant spray is based on concentrated natural plant oil extracts of food grade quality. It features a handy trigger spray and has a quick knockdown action.

Product 4: Dethlac Insecticidal Lacquer

Dethlac is an insecticidal ant surface spray that dries to a hard clear film and kills ants within a few hours of contact.  It may be applied to any hard, non-porous surface. It remains active for months, through rain or even washing with detergent.

Product 5: Digrain C40 WP

Digrain C40 WP is a wettable cypermethrin based powder. Each 2g sachet is soluble to 1 litre of water and is ideal for spraying around doors and windows where ants accumulate or where they ‘trail.’   1 litre sprays 25 square metres of surface

Product 6: Bayer Ficam W

Ficam W is another wettable powder that works in the same way as C40 WP. The difference is it contains bendiocarb which is a well-tried and very successful ingredient for killing ants.  Make up one 15g sachet in 5 litres of water and spray in and around nests, runs and foraging areas.

Product 7: Biopren Pharaoh Ant Killer

  • Out of stock Sale! Biopren Pharaoh ant killer
    £21.66£60.84

The Biopren Pharaoh Ant Killer 2.5g sachet contains an insect growth regulator that will not immediately kill the ants but will prevent the queen laying eggs and will interrupt the natural development of the larvae. Biopren BMS attracts pharaoh ants with the result that more bait is taken back to the nest. It is a dry bait formulation so no mixing is required and it creates no mess.

Product 8: Imidasect Pharaoh Ant Gel Bait

  • Imidasect Pharaoh Ant Gel Bait
    £24.54

Imidasect Pharaoh Ant Gel Bait is a ready to use gel that is particularly effective against pharaoh ants and Argentine ants.  It is a poison bait whose ingredients attract the ants, who take the ‘food’ back to the nest where it contaminates the whole colony.

Product 9: Maxforce LN-Ant Bait Station

  • Out of stock Maxforce LN-Ant Bait Station
    £9.96

Maxforce LN-Ant Bait Stations are a simple to solution and are baited with sugar and honey combined with the active ingredient, imidacloprid, forming part of the special bait matrix which attracts the ants to feed on it and take the bait back to the colony. Colony eradication can be expected within 3/5 days after treatment, depending on the size of the infestation.

Conclusion

Ants are a big problem for many households and businesses across the UK during Summer. They can be a big problem to deal with if not done so effectively and with professional products.

Ant infestations can be controlled with proactive measures and maintaining a good hygiene level in food areas during the Summer period. If you do have an ant problem our ant products will be able to help you deal with them simply and quickly.

If you have any further questions about how to get rid of ants or an ant infestation you have do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of our team. You can contact us here.

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DIY Pest Control Ltd, Pontefract Street, Derby, DE24 8JD

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