It is again this time of year when ant numbers reach an all -time high and you may find that you crawl under your doors, along your window sills and through all cracks in your walls.
But although it can be tempting to grab strong chemicals to finally get rid of them, did you know that you can effectively draw them with lemons?
Here our entomologist shares his top tips to get rid of an ants indoors with this staple food fruit and explains when and why they may have to rely on commercial alternatives.
How to use lemons to hold ants
Trouble to get rid of ants in your kitchen? Although only tiny, the annoying nature of these annoying pests cannot be controversial, and they can often feel particularly difficult to effectively banish. But, says Tony King, an expert in pest control and founder of the Pied Piper, is not always necessary to rely on hard chemicals.
He says you can use lemon juice instead. “This works due to the D-limon in the shells and the acid in the juice,” he explains: “D limen is a connection that occurs in citrus oils in a natural way, and disturbs the sensory receptors that use ants to identify and follow pheromon routes.”
“When these paths are masked or broken, ants become disoriented and often give up the route completely. The acid in the juice can also affect your exoskeleton to contact, but that's a small effect. '
So if you try to get rid of ants outdoors or anywhere in your home, you have to concentrate on disturbing your fragrance paths after blocking the entry points. This can be done easily with Caulk, such as
“Start by pressing fresh lemon juice along the common ant inputs – window sills, cracks in the walls, gaps around doors, along the floor where ants form lines,” advises Tony. “Use pure, undiluted lemon juice to achieve the best results. You can spray it [using a spray bottle such as the Equate Plastic Spraybottle available at Walmart] Or soak a cotton fabric or paper towel and wipe directly onto the surfaces.
»After squeezing the juice, don't throw the shells away – rub the inside of the shell along the same areas to release the citrus oils. Leave a few fresh lemon slices or heavily fragrant lemon shells in the area for persistent paths and will serve as a further deterrent. '
You can also try to clean with lemon juice for similar effects or with vinegar, while vinegar does not kill ants, but it will Dark them off. The same applies to cleaning with baking powder, since baking powder kills ants and also deter them.
Is the use of lemon juice an effective deterrent?
As Tony explains, lemons are best used as part of a layered approach when it comes to an ant control, especially if they have to deal with an infestation, for example, and try to get rid of flying ants.
“Lemons are an non-toxic and with food relatively mild infestation or for people who do not want to use hard chemicals-especially in areas for food preparations,” he says. “But you won't get rid of the source of infestation. If you see a steady or growing ants, I always suggest using lemons in connection with a bait strategy. '
For this purpose, Tony recommends the use of Terro Ant Killer -Kader -Stations at Amazon, attract the workers, which then carry the poison back into the colony and target the root to the problem. The struggle max 2 in 1 ant bait station near Walmart is also a popular choice.
And if you prefer not to use chemicals at all, you can try out some non -toxic pest control options by using smells, ants hatred, such as thyme and lavender, and even trying to get rid of ants in your garden with soap. If you stay away from the outside of your house, ants should primarily come to the house.
Puntea van Terheyden, head of solved, tried Dr. Killigans Natural and environmentally friendly six foot at: contact spray at Amazon to get rid of the spring ants on your front door.
She says: “Although it has not got rid of the colony's source, it effectively deletes its fragrance paths around my front door and prevented it from marching to and from the entrance to my house what a bonus was. '
Punteteha likes that the vegetable ingredients are safe for their pets. “My two cats are curious and like to sit near the front door and I didn't want to use a commercial pesticide that could affect them. They don't seem to like the essential oils in the spray of the Dr. Killigan, so they still kept them away from the room. '
Shopping
All prices were correct at the time of publication.
This strong essential oil of lemons can be used instead of fresh lemon juice for a long -lasting, strongly smelling effect.
These glass spray bottles are ideal for mixing homemade pest crossings with UV protection to prevent ingredients such as fresh lemon juice.
Zevo Ant, Roach & Fly Multi-Insect trigger spray
This insect spray is safe for people and pets made from essential rosemary oil and without additional fragrances or dyes.
Meet our experts
Tony has more than 25 years of experience in the pest control industry since the Pied Piper was founded in 1992.
“In the long term, it is crucial to seal the entry points with a kettle or Weather -Streeting and keep the meters flawless -especially free of sugar, crumbs or pet food -” says Tony.
Did you know that you can also use orange peel to prevent pests?