Most do-it-yourself approaches only kill the ants you see, whereas a truly effective treatment will penetrate and destroy their nest to prevent them from returning. Also, home remedies don't account for the fact that different kinds of ant infestations require different treatments.
Ants can nest about anywhere in and around your house; in lawns, walls, stumps, even under foundations. They can number from 300,000 to 500,000 and whole colonies can uproot and relocate quickly when threatened. With comparative freedom from natural enemies, a colony can live a relatively long lifetime. Worker ants may live seven years and the queen may live as long as 15 years. |
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Sanitation |
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Since fleas breed in the dust and debris, keeping the floor clean by constant sweeping and washing with a detergent or insecticide solution will help to remove or kill the eggs and immature stages. Vacuum cleaning is also effective. |
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Personal Protection |
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Clothes can be impregnated with a pyrethroid (eg. permethin) to provide long period of control. Repellents such as deet can also be used, but the period of protection is considerably shorter lasting a few hours only. |
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Insecticides |
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Insecticidal formulations of dust or solution can be used to treat cracks, crevices, room corners and other places where fleas are suspected. Depending on the type of insecticides and its formulation, some of it can be applied directly onto clothing or fur or animals. However care must be taken and always adhere to the instruction on direction for users as stated on the product labels. Fumigation using fumigant canisters or aerosol can also be used. |
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