Small ants in the apartment - where do they come from and how to get rid of them

Why and where do small domestic ants appear in the apartment?
The most common types of small house ants
How to get rid of ants yourself in an apartment
Folk remedies for killing ants
Chemicals for elimination
How to perform a treatment to kill small insects?
Preventive measures
What are the best remedies for small ants?

Ants, living in natural conditions, bring many benefits to the environment and act as an important link in the life chain of animals, birds, and plants. They live everywhere in fields, meadows, and forests. But as soon as they find themselves in the house and start causing trouble, the question arises: how to get rid of them. In this case, insects important for wildlife immediately turn into pests, cause serious damage to households, and make residents of an apartment building or private building want to remove them immediately. And if these are no longer single individuals who accidentally came to “visit”, but flocks, appropriate measures should be taken as quickly as possible and get rid of small domestic ants.

Why and where do small domestic ants appear in the apartment?

We noticed that there are a lot of insects in the living quarters, which means that a queen has already appeared, which produces large offspring. But before you think about how to remove small ants from your apartment, you should understand why and where they come from, identify the reasons for their spread, and find the places where they enter the home. This will eliminate the root cause and prevent their re-invasion. The habitat of insects is not chosen based on the address, the color of the house, or the appearance of the owners. They are looking for sources of food. And if there are goodies readily available for them, they will definitely take advantage of this opportunity, stop by and comfortably settle down next to you.

There is a high probability that you will have to think about how to get rid of small annoying house ants if:

Your trash can is constantly full, without a lid.
Food is kept freely available.
Unwashed dishes with food residues remain in the sink overnight.
Cleaning is rarely done and is of questionable quality: crumbs remain, stains from sweet drinks, etc.

Pests can enter the premises through the basement, ventilation system, pipes, from a neighboring apartment, through cracks, doors and windows that do not close tightly.

Initially, a working scout is sent to the “object”, who will assess the territory and its suitability for habitation. If conditions turn out to be “ideal,” a queen will move in and quickly increase the number of insects. . So, if the rooms are clean and tidy, you don’t have to worry about how to get rid of ants forever: they won’t build a nest. If not, any deep crack, peeling wallpaper, or baseboards can become a new home for small inhabitants. And then the question of how to remove them will be relevant to you.

The most common types of small house ants

The following types of uninvited ants most often require removal from apartments:

Red or pharaonic. Pests up to 2 mm in length. This species reproduces very quickly: they manage to create a colony with more than 100 thousand individuals in a short time. “Pharaohs” are able to penetrate even the upper floors of high-rise buildings. They mostly live in kitchens. They are attracted to sweets, so the main reason for their appearance is fruits, sugar, cookies, jam and other sweets that are freely available for profit. If you like to drink coffee and treats in bed, they can even live in the bedroom.
Woody or red. They prefer high-calorie, fatty foods and are immune to many toxic substances. They mostly settle in wood and damage furniture by making holes in kitchen sets and dining rooms. They can live for a week without food and 3 days without water.
Black or garden. Body length is about 5 mm (classified as large). The body is covered with hairs. These seemingly harmless insects are omnivores, but prefer carbohydrates. They settle in warm, humid places: on balconies, in the bathroom, in the toilet, in flower pots, etc.
Yellow or thief ants. They form several nests at the same time and reproduce very quickly. Ants of this color live in apartments up to the third floor, under wallpaper, in household appliances and other secluded, damp, warm places.
White. These are wood borers, that is, termites. Some individuals are almost transparent, some have wings. They live in warm places and attack wooden furniture. They do not eat human food and it is very difficult to get rid of them.

There are also large red forest species, but they rarely penetrate into residential apartments, so you don’t have to think about how to get rid of small goosebumps.

It’s worth thinking about how to get rid of these small pet ants not only because of aesthetic discomfort. These insects are dangerous in themselves. They are predators by nature and can attack. While adults are not very susceptible to bites, pets and children may experience serious allergic reactions. Insects also pose a risk of infection: on their paws they carry bacteria, germs, and infections, picking them up in trash cans and from neighbors, leading to diseases.

Think about how to get rid of the goosebumps right away, before they have time to create a large colony in the apartment. This may only take a couple of weeks. Females lay eggs, about 10% of worker insects obtain food (foragers), and the rest look after the offspring and resettle to new areas. Therefore, at the first signs of their presence, you should think about how to get rid of ants in your apartment forever.

Why are ants dangerous?

In addition to the discomfort that accompanies the appearance of ants, they carry various microbes: crawling through garbage bags, and then moving onto a sugar bowl, bread bowl and other utensils, they easily spread bacteria.

In addition, ant bites can cause an allergic reaction in humans.

Ants not only cause discomfort - they are carriers of various microbes

How to get rid of ants yourself in an apartment

The first step in removing small ants in an apartment is to find a nest. This is very important, because no more than 10% of individuals can be seen. And even if they are destroyed, this will not cause serious harm to the ant colony. All other individuals are in nests, healthy and unharmed. They can be located under wallpaper, in cracks in walls, tiles.

Only after determining their habitat should you think about how to remove small pests. Folk remedies and chemicals can be used for these purposes. The first ones are used when there are children or people with allergies in the house and when insect populations are small. If you need quick results with minimal effort to remove goosebumps, use chemicals.

Folk remedies for killing ants

In terms of effectiveness, traditional methods of control are not inferior to chemicals, but are safe for people and pets. To exterminate small ants in the house will help:

Soda. The body of goosebumps contains an acid that will enter into a chemical reaction with it in the stomach, leading to the death of the individual. To prepare the poison, mix soda, water and sugar in equal proportions. It is applied to surfaces near insect habitats, causing them to die. This is the easiest and safest way for humans to remove domestic insects.
Ammonia. The pungent smell repels them, helping to get rid of them. Dissolve 100 ml of ammonia in 1 liter of water and treat the places where ants live with the mixture. After just 15 minutes, a person will not hear the pungent odor, but it will repel insects for a long time.
Salt and hot pepper. Mix in equal proportions and sprinkle along the paths of the ants. It’s difficult to say how it works, but it helps eliminate insects from your home.
Soap. A universal remedy for those who are thinking about how to remove pests. Prepare a solution of soap, water and a few drops of essential oil. Small ants in the apartment will be disoriented (pheromones will be removed), new ones will not be able to get in, and the aroma will scare them away.
Boric acid. On its basis, poisonous baits are prepared in the form of paste, balls, and drinking solution. Boric acid is mixed with treats: honey, sugar syrup, yeast, glycerin, jam, egg yolk, minced meat and other “goodies” and left on a saucer. A tasty but deadly bait that will help remove small domestic insects.
Borax. Recipe: mix it in equal proportions with sugar, add a little water. Apply the composition to small cardboards and place them along the insect routes. Their small ants will be drawn into the nest, poisoning all their relatives.
Sugar syrup. Prepare a saturated solution, pour it into a jar or bottle, after lubricating its neck from the inside with sunflower oil. The insects will crawl inside, eat the bait and fall into the trap, and will not be able to get back out. So, gradually you can remove them.

You can try and scare away apartment ants. Use essential oils of lavender, fir, clove, juniper, spruce, mint, lemon and orange zest. The smells of fragrant plants will be extremely unpleasant for insects: mint, elderberry, cinnamon, wormwood, pine needles, tansy, tomatoes (stems, leaves). It is necessary to place fresh or dried herbs in kitchen units, behind furniture, on the floor under baseboards. Another option: you can lubricate their paths with glycerin. Small goosebumps will not be able to withstand these “tests” and will disappear from the apartment forever.

Combat aerosol

The universal aerosol Combat from Henkel has long been popular due to its powerful formula and wide spectrum of action. A household insecticide can instantly kill visible populations of ants, cockroaches, spiders, mosquitoes and flies. The drug has a nerve-paralytic effect and penetrates well through the chitinous membrane of insects. With high-quality treatment of hard-to-reach places, Combat destroys hidden nests and egg clutches.

Characteristics:

composition – Imiprotrin 0.2%, Cyphenothrin 0.3%;
form – aerosol in a 500 ml bottle;
purpose – broad-spectrum insecticide of the pyrethroid class;
smell – the smell is pungent, specific, masked by deodorizing additives, dissipates within 15-30 minutes;
safety for people and animals – 4 low-hazard class;
application - spray on surfaces from a distance of at least 20 cm, use masks, gloves, the apartment must be prepared (remove decor, cover furniture, tables, hide food).

Combat is easy to use, has economical consumption and instant effect. Requires careful use in homes where sick people, allergy sufferers, small children, and animals live. Processing is carried out in the absence of people. 3-4 hours after disinfestation, you can ventilate the room and wipe the contact surfaces with a soap-soda solution. The average price of a cylinder is 500-600 rubles.

Go to the store

Chemicals for elimination

If it is difficult to expel small house ants using folk remedies, it is time to use more aggressive chemicals containing special toxic substances. Insecticides that guarantee destruction can be produced in the form of:

Gels. They not only remove working insects, but also help get rid of the ant “queen” by getting into places where they accumulate. It is enough for one individual to come into contact with toxic components to carry them on its paws into its home, infecting all its relatives. Draw dotted lines along the paths where workers move in the apartment.
Sprays They are sprayed in places of accumulation, providing an instant poisoning effect and complete disposal after 1-2 days. An aerosol with poison is sprayed at a distance of 25 cm from the anthill. Sprays and aerosols can effectively kill a large number of adult males and females, destroy eggs and larvae.
Melkov. The concentration of the toxic substance in Mashenka is low and does not harm humans, but destroys goosebumps. Use a pencil to cover the perimeter of the room, places of movement and congestion.
Powders or granules. They simply scatter them at pest accumulation points. The entire colony will be destroyed within a week.

To remove insects, when they are detected, you can use repellers: ultrasonic, magnetic resonance. They make sounds that humans cannot hear, but the nervous system of ants cannot stand them. As a result, old individuals leave the apartment, new ones do not come. The impact area of one device is from 45 to 560 m2. Can be installed anywhere in the apartment except bedrooms.

Traps and bait

When choosing a trap or bait for ants, you need to pay attention to the time after which the poison begins to act.

If you buy a bait with a closed body, but inside which there is instant poison, you will only be able to eliminate working ants. A living queen will quickly reproduce new offspring and replenish the empty ranks;
Electric bait has a similar effect;
A bait with a sticky layer will also not get rid of the entire anthill, but will only be effective when the ants come to you for food or are noticed for the first time. After using them, it is imperative to treat the room with one of the means described in the second paragraph of the article in order to avoid the reappearance of ants;
The best traps are those with a closed body, inside of which there is a bait with a delayed action.

Pay attention to the traps “Raptor”, “Combat”, “Raid”, “Deadex”, “Delicia”.

How to perform a treatment to kill small insects?

If you plan to use chemicals to remove ants, you should follow the recommendations:

Treatment is carried out in the apartment only in the absence of residents and pets. The person performing the work must be protected by closed clothing, goggles, a mask, and rubber gloves.
Things and food are hidden in cabinets and sealed packaging.
Before using preparations for destruction, carefully study the instructions. Do not exceed recommended doses.
People prone to allergies are not allowed to carry out work.
After treatment with the active substance, windows and doors are tightly closed. After about 2-3 hours, the premises are thoroughly ventilated, and general cleaning is performed using soap solutions and soda.

Only after this can other family members and pets be returned to the living space.

Preventive measures

If you want to permanently remove ants so that they never appear in your living space again, follow the prevention recommendations:

Seal with putty all places accessible to ants - any cracks, crevices that could become habitats for pests.
Never leave food items open that could become a treat for “uninvited guests.” Place them in the refrigerator, airtight containers, or Zip bags. Animal food should also be hidden.
It is recommended to take out garbage containing food waste daily, in the evening, without leaving it overnight. Use a bucket with a lid.
Don't leave unwashed dishes after dinner.
Keep your house clean. If the scout does not find anything edible in the apartment, he will not bring the queen with him, and there will be no colony.

But if neither folk nor chemical means manage to remove insects, it is worth using the professional help of a pest control service. Experts know exactly how to get rid of ants in an apartment. They will find the means and methods that will be most effective in your case and are guaranteed to remove pests.

Prevention

When the ants are defeated, you should take care not to encounter them in your apartment or house again. To do this, it is better to familiarize yourself with the measures to prevent such meetings:

After a meal, all food should be put in the refrigerator or at least covered. Crumbs from the table are wiped off immediately, just like the dishes are washed.
Garbage must be taken out daily and the trash can must have a lid.
If any liquid is spilled, especially sweet liquid, it should be immediately wiped dry, preferably with soapy water.
All sweets and bulk products should be in sealed packages that ants cannot get into.
Wet cleaning is carried out once a week.
Check if the tap is leaking. Water is the basis of life for ants, so access to it must be limited.

These measures will help you avoid meeting or meeting red ants on your property.

What are the best remedies for small ants?

Now you know the reasons for the appearance of small ants in the apartment, the best methods and means to get rid of annoying insects. The best folk remedies: soda, ammonia, soap, boric acid, borax. Forms of store-bought preparations: gels, sprays, crayons, powders. It is important to follow the instructions, act persistently and consistently. After getting rid of small ants, follow simple but effective preventive measures: wash the dishes thoroughly, do not allow debris to accumulate, and get rid of the habit of leaving food exposed.