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Have you ever picked up a chalk to try and draw a line on surfaces you’ve spotted with ants crawling about, chances are you already believing that a simple line of chalk can remove ants away from your premises.
Answer this question before reading on:
Does drawing a line of chalk near the ant hole or along the ant trail useful in:
- Keeping the ants away
- Killing the ants
- Temporarily derailing an ant trial
- All of the above
Is chalk an effective remedy against ants?
An old wives tales, many of you would have chosen some answers which ‘keep the ants away’ and ‘killing ant’. This is false and chalk itself would not work to eliminate ants completely. While the drawn line of thick chalk can temporarily derail an ant trial, making the colony confused with the scents. However these ants soon establish their scents and the trail can come back at work again.
While derailing an ant trail may seem like the ants are being kept away, these ants are definitely not killed. They are only temporarily shifted away from the original site as they avoid the chalk line.
This is the same as with any other things which disrupt the scent trails i.e. water. These DIY methods are not effective in getting rid of ants.
Why are natural ant control remedies ineffective?
Firstly, ants hide and build their nests at quiet and hard to spot locations that increase the detection challenges. Secondly, most remedies merely mask the chemical signs or known as pheromones and temporary confuse ants’ direction for a short while. Thirdly, we may only target and localise the treatment area instead of eliminating the root source. Fourthly, as non-professionals, we have the tendency to apply at the wrong location or inadequate frequency. In addition, most off-the-shelve solutions may have less efficacy in terms of dosage level and quality. Above all, ants infestations will continue building without a sound cleaning regime and proper ants treatment in place.
Professional ants control solutions for your home
We recommend engaging a pest control company to conduct proper site survey in understanding your home environment and condition of infestation. Ants treatment including residual spray and gel baits are usually recommended where frequency and number of treatments vary. Professional pest control specialist will also conduct regular inspection and monitoring of your home to determine if ant infestation is under control and whether any new nest hideout or unusual spikes are observed.
You may also like: Do Bed Bugs Get Worse After Treatment?
Get rid of ants at home
Do you have ants at home? Getting rid of ants is more than just chalk and water. Should you have an ant infestation at home; it can be difficult to get rid of ants with DIY methods. Proper and correct identification of the ant species is required before the right treatment method is recommended, this best done by a pest control specialist.
Find out other interesting pest myths here with Rentokil today!
FAQ about ants you need to know
Do ants transmit diseases?
Yes. Many species of ants carry and transmit food-borne disease pathogens such as E.Coli and salmonella when they touch food particles. This is why food particles should be cleaned up immediately and food should be covered at all times. In addition, any surfaces, tools and cutleries should be cleaned before use.
Do all ants bite and sting?
While all ants bite, only certain ant species sting. In Singapore, ants that commonly sting are fire ants. Their bites are usually burning pain, red, swell and itchy. In severe cases, it may result in allergy and cause serious symptoms including anaphylaxis or death.
What are the different ways to eliminate ants?
The most common ant species found in homes in Singapore are:
- Back house ants
- Fire ants
- Ghost ants/sugar ants
- Odorous house ants
- Pharaoh's ants
- Carpenter ants
Where can I find ant nests in a home?
Most ant species build their nests outside our homes and often forage for food in our homes. One species of ants that usually build their ants nest in homes are the carpenter ants. As carpenter ants are attracted to wood, they often build nests in wooden structures that can cause structural damage to furniture as they make their way out. In addition, ants often nests and breed in quiet and undisturbed corners including cabinets, behind appliances, all walls and concrete slabs, cracks and corners or skirting.
Which are the common ant species commonly found in homes?
The cost of pest control solutions in Singapore depend on:
- The type of pest species
- Number of pests infested
- Location of the infestation
- Complexity and severity of the infestation
- Intensity of the treatment
- Treatment method and required equipment and tools
- Size of the premise to be treated
What kind of pests species do white ants belong to?
White ants actually refer to termites, which are not an ant species.
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Why you fail to get rid of ants in your home?