Dealing with ants can sometimes be a nightmare. Ants are so common during the rainy and warm weather seasons. Don’t be surprised to see some of them walk majestically towards your camping tent late in the evening. At times when you wake up, you may see them waking up as well. They also seem to be working the whole night at times. Do they ever rest?
It makes you wonder what kind of arrogance this could be if they decide to disturb you when camping. You come all the way to such a place to enjoy some leisure away from home, and these tiny animals want to ruin your camping experience. Sometimes they come in colonies of hundreds, thousands and even millions.
Where do you run to if invaded by such a large army at the night? This can force you to come up with ways of eliminating them. You need to master the best way to get rid of ants naturally. Read along as we answer this question to the last bit. Let nothing hinder you from getting the comfort you desire to have at the campsite.
Types Of Ants
It is crucial to know the kind of insects you are dealing with before you can know how to deal with them.
- Carpenter ants- Are the largest and are either black or red in color.
- Pavement ants- Are black or brown and are highly attracted to sugary foodstuff.
- Fire ants- Are the most dangerous types of ants. Are red in color and sting painfully.
- Odorous ants- Are small in size with a huge appetite for sweet items. Their bodies are black or brown.
Are The Ants Beneficial In Any Way?
Ants are some of the animals that have been misunderstood for the longest time now. Only a few people boast of some little knowledge about these tiny creatures. It is important to know that ants are of different species. Some being beneficial while others are just a disaster in waiting.
Before you decide to kill the ants you come across, you will have to look around and take note of what is happening in the environs. Think of the farmer whose farm is just meters away from wherever you are.
These ants are tillers. Don’t underestimate their capabilities when you see them burrow the soil. As they do this, they redistribute nutrients and aerate the soil for the plants. They play a pillar role in ensuring that we enjoy the green vegetation you are currently enjoying.
The leaves that they collect as part of their food will decay after some time. These are natural fertilizers to plants. Pollination and seed distribution are some other areas that the ants become so important.
You may argue that most of these are just related to plants, but humans benefit a lot from plants. I can’t imagine how life would be without plants. Could there be life in the first place? I don’t think so. Slugs, caterpillars among others are some animals that are poisonous to humans if they get their way into our food.
Do you know that ants can actually prevent you from such dangers by hunting them and killing them, therefore, keeping you safe?
The Harmful Side Of Ants
One dangerous type of ant is the fire ant. These ants are very dangerous if disturbed. They can attack and kill humans; you are not excluded. How do we explain death caused by ants? This is what can necessitate us to come up with the best way to get rid of ants naturally.
I would rather kill these tiny animals before they kill me. My life is too precious. I can’t lose it at the hands of ants; something that I can prevent. There are times that they turn our homes into their food. This is the level of arrogance exhibited by ants that should be avoided by all means.
Do these creatures know the expense of putting up a house? Besides giving them a shelter in the form a house, all they want is to bring the house down. This is the point where you think of getting rid of them without causing harm to yourself and the environment.
The Best Ways To Get Rid Of Ants Naturally: Try These Options
The ants might be small creatures but dealing with them can be quite difficult and frustrating. Pesticides are known to contain chemicals that are harmful to both the environment and humans. There are however some natural and non-toxic ways that can be used to control them.
They are not as fast as pesticides. A lot of patience is expected from you before you can get the best results. But the results are much desirable. These natural ways are divided into several approaches.
The approaches are repelling the ants before they get into your area, control and eradication once within the vicinity and finally killing them at the source.
Ways Of Repelling Ants
The best and simplest way of repelling ants is by ensuring that sweet ingredients such as syrup and honey are tightly sealed. Ants get attracted to such kind of stuff. Make sure that your area has no foodstuff left on the ground. It is not that effective, but it can surely be of help.
Another good way to keep ants at bay is through creating barriers with things that ants do not like such as baby powder, coffee or cinnamon cayenne. Sprinkling and drawing lines around your area with stuff will keep them away from your campground.
Citrus found in oranges, grapefruits and lemons contain D-limonene which kills ants. Dried peels which have been ground into powder will help you a great deal. Peppermint oil sprayed around your tent area keeps ants away by covering the scents of any food that might attract them.
An alternative to the peppermint is the vinegar. It functions the same way as the former.
Getting Rid Of Ants That Are Already Within The Area
First, you need to locate their place of origin and where they are headed to. This is the first and important step towards getting rid of them. There must be something around where they are headed to that is probably attracting them.
Identify whatever it is and clean it up. You can thereafter use any of the products discussed above to keep them off.
Killing The Ants
Any of the methods mentioned above are not that efficient. The ants might come back after some time. Personally, I prefer getting rid of these animals at least for some time. What if they come back and attack me when am fast asleep
You can either choose to use instant killing or make a poison for them. The poison takes time to act effectively. You will, therefore, have to wait a bit longer. If you are in a place for a short period, then it is better if you use the instant killing mechanism.
Borax first attracts as many of the ants as possible. Being that there are many more ants left in the colony, they will be tempted to carry some of those who were left behind. Any ant that eats the mixture of corn syrup and Borax ends up dead. It takes some time though.
Mixing baking soda and powdered sugar is another best way to get rid of ants naturally. Place this close to where they are coming from. The sugar does the attraction while the baking soda is responsible for the killing.
The ants won’t be able to differentiate between baking soda and sugar and will, therefore, carry everything back to the nest killing every one of them. Ants have acidic substances in their bodies. That is why if you get a sting from them, it is a painful one that is characterized by swelling. The acidic substance reacts with the baking powder leading to a slow but fatal death of the ants.
Diatomaceous earth, popularly known as DE, is another effective way of eliminating ants plus any other crawling pests. It is a fine fossilized powder from diatom remains with one important type of algae. It is harmless to humans. In fact, it is good for nails and hair when consumed.
Any ant that comes into contact with the DE becomes hydrated by damaging the waxy coating, therefore, killing them. This one works instantly. There is no way they will carry some to the colony. All the energy is lost at once; no way will the ants make steps away from the scene. For effective use of DE, don’t wet it in any way.
Conclusion
Ants are beneficial, either directly or indirectly to us. On the other hand, they exhibit harmful features that if not dealt with appropriately will put us on the losing end. Having ants at your campground is really annoying. They will just keep interfering with your comfort.
You will end up spoilt for choices on what to do since you have to preserve the environment as much as possible. Harming yourself is also the last thing you can imagine of. This leads you to use the best way to get rid of ants naturally.
Have you used any of these methods? If yes, what was the result? Which other method do you want to try out? You can share your experience after use. Enjoy your outdoor activities free from ants!
