About the Lifecycle
Ants are social insects and live in colonies. Usually there are 3 distinct castes: workers, queens and males. Some species also have “soldiers”.
Eggs are laid by the queen, then develop into larvae, pupate and become adults. The workers feed and care for the queens and developing brood, and are the ones seen foraging for food and water, often at great distances from the colony.
Control – Indoor
Remove Food Sources
Cleanliness is important in preventing infestations by ants. Inside the house, pet food bowls, dirty dishes, food crumbs on the floor, benches or tables and sap sucking insects on indoor plants can all attract ants as potential food sources. Outside the house, unemptied rubbish bins, food and drink cans also encourage ants.
Chemicals
Chemical control may be warranted if a persistent infestation of ants causes a problem or nuisance. Only use low-toxic chemicals or ant baits inside.
Spraying – The mistake most people make when attempting to control ants is only spraying the ones they see. Typically, there will be thousands of additional ants including one or more egg-laying queens hidden somewhere in a nest. Eliminating queens and other colony members within nests is often the key to effective ant control.
Baits – The advantage in using baits is that foraging ants take the insecticide back to the nest and feed it to the queen(s) and other colony members. This is handy when the nests are difficult to locate or gain access to. Most baits sold to homeowners come pre-packaged with the insecticide and food attractant confined within a plastic, child-resistant container.
Baits are easy to use and often effective. Place the baits next to wherever ants are seen, preferably beside ant "trails". Note: Do not spray other insecticides or cleaning agents around the bait stations, as this will deter ants from feeding on the bait. Initially, you should see an increase in the number of ants around the bait station – DO NOT SPRAY THEM. This indicates that the ants are feeding on the bait and transporting the insecticide back to the nest. Ant activity should decrease in a matter of days.
Continue to place additional baits wherever ants are seen. Ants are rather finicky in their food preferences and this may alter throughout the year. If one bait product isn’t attractive or doesn’t seem to be working, try another. Optimal results usually require a sustained period of feeding, not just a brief visitation by a few ants. Professional pest control firms have a wider selection of bait products to choose from.
Prevention
Ants invade houses searching for food and are more of a nuisance than a danger, and they certainly do not warrant the use of highly toxic insecticides. Use soapy water sprays to kill invading ants until more permanent solutions can be found.
- Proper storage of food – food should be kept in containers that close tightly. Store jam, sugar, honey, sweet sauces, and cough syrups in the fridge. Wipe food containers before storage.
- Pet food should not be left out overnight. Clean pet bowls regularly and create a ‘moat’ by placing the food bowl inside a larger bowl with water to prevent ant access.
- Storage of organic waste – compost buckets need to have tight fitting lids. Bottles, cans and wrappings that have food particles clinging to them should be rinsed out before storage for recycling.
- Cleaning – clean up food scraps and utensils. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove crumbs from corners and cracks in the floor, as well as inside cupboards.
- Sealing cracks – find out where the ants are entering the house and then use a silicon caulk to block their passage.
- Use natural oils like eucalyptus and lavender as repellents and to disrupt ant trails.
Control – Outdoor
Note: Unless the ants are aggressive try to tolerate them outdoors as they are part of the environment and control many pests such as termites, cockroaches, fleas and flies.
Ants can easily be removed from plant pots by immersing or flooding them until the ants drown.
When a below-ground nest is discovered, the colony often can be eliminated by spraying or drenching the nest location with a liquid insecticide (see the homemade mix below). Large colonies will require greater amounts of liquid to move the insecticide throughout the network of underground galleries within the nest (using a bucket to apply the diluted insecticide concentrate is an effective method). Always follow the label directions for treating ant mounds, paying attention to precautions for mixing and application.
Another effective and convenient way to control some species of outdoor and indoor-nesting ants is with a granular bait product. Sprinkle the bait in small amounts beside outdoor ant mounds, along pavement cracks, and other areas where ants are nesting or trailing.
DIY Spray Mix - Make up a spray containing 500ml of water, a quarter cup of kerosene, a quarter cup of liquid detergent and 4 dessert spoons of vegetable oil, shaken together. Spray a circle about .5 m radius from the nest entrance. Pour a cup of water slowly into the nest entrance, wait a few minutes and then spray all the ants on the surface with the homemade spray or a pyrethrum-based spray. Repeat this procedure every 2-3 days until the ant population declines. Lay 3-6 baits as described below, around the nest.
DIY Baits – Use a boric acid/ sugar solution bait as a least-toxic control. To make the bait, mix 3 cups of water, 1 cup sugar and 4 level teaspoons of a boric acid product. Half fill a small screw-topped jar with cotton wool, saturate with the bait, screw the lid on tightly, seal with adhesive tape, and pierce several small holes in the lid to allow the ants access but prevent removal by larger animals. Keep away from children and pets. This takes a few weeks to wipe out a colony but is more effective than using highly toxic pesticides that only kill the foraging ants, not the colony. Some ants may prefer a mint jelly or peanut butter bait.
