What can you spray to keep ants away?

Ants are always around us, be it at home, work or at public areas. Some common actions we often take against them whenever we come into contact with includes fanning them away or pressing and squeezing them if it is just a handful. But when these handful volumes turned into a troop or colony, most of us who are often guilty with, would attempt to spray anything on them just to get rid of ants.

Water is often used to "wash" or "flush" out anything unwanted or undesired. It can be grease, dirt, waste and not forgetting pests. For some who believes in eliminating ants with high temperature, hot or boiling water is used.

Pros: One of the most convenient, safest and no-cost methods, water can help to flush away any existing and visible problems on the spot.

Cons: A short term and localised method with limited elimination effect, water spills might even cause potential slips and encourage pest harbourage due to their preference for moisture.

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With readily-available ants’ prevention tips on the internet, there are series of natural repelling methods to keep ants away. Some of the more popular choices like vinegar, lemon juice, pepper sprinkles, cinnamon and even salt dusting are used.

Pros: There are some short term and repelling effect since ants dislike the sour taste, the smell of vinegar and the pungent aroma of spices. These unflavoured scent may help to deter them away.

Cons: Another short term and temporary ants control fix, these ants will return after the repelling smell is diminished. On top of that, leaving food sources lying around in the home promotes pest problem such as cockroaches!

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Drops of essential oil such as peppermint oil can be concocted with water to spray at surrounding key risk areas around the home to repel ants. In fact, it is said that peppermint oil soaked cotton balls stuffed at entries and openings can help deter rats too!

Pros: Considered to be one of the more favoured ants’ elimination methods, these essential oil derails the pheromone trials which ants rely on communication among other ants and are perhaps too strong and pungent that turns ants away.

Cons: Due to its oil nature, it is highly recommended to spray them at places such as kitchen which may risk the chance of combustible problems.

Where majority are familiar with and would stock up bottles of insecticide sprays at home, it is typically our go-to ant removal tool by spraying at these visible ants crawling around the home space. Ant baits and traps is another favourite option by sticking them at places you see as "strategic hot spots" to control them. Common areas include the kitchen walls, cabinets, shelves and cupboards.

Pros: A more comfortable, familiar and trusted approach used by many home owners which are quite affordable and convenient to grab hold of, insecticide sprays and baits placements is the go-to pest control solution to most home’s ants’ problems.

Cons: Due to the lack of pest knowledge and technical expertise, we may miss out certain ants’ control details such as the right area to place bait or gel, addressing the root source of the problem, which are commonly less-obvious among the untrained, spotting ants infestation signs and whether the dosage and type of active ingredient is sufficient to control ants’ colony.

Ants treatment in Singapore can vary with options including DIY remedies, using natural ingredients such as cucumber peels or vinegars, off-the-shelve insecticide sprays and baits or even engaging professional pest control services. Most ant control will involve a home inspection, identify key risk areas, confirm the pest type species and treatments including residual spray or ant gel application. Credible pest control companies will also include regular inspection, pest monitoring and service reporting including useful pest tips recommendation.

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Ants can get rather annoying especially if they are scattered at different parts of the home. Despite clearing some, additional ants’ recurrence will occur. There could also be a danger that they might not be ants! Click here to read more on 5 Natural Ways to Keep Your Home Ants-Free!

Home checks are available to help home owners identify the right pest species, detect the breeding source and offer the right solution to control the pest problem. If ants are constantly giving you problems, call Rentokil the Experts in Pest Control at +6563478138 for an ant pest survey today.