Wait. Was that an ant that just scurried away as you switched on the kitchen light? Is your house being invaded by ants? You’re probably wondering what you can do to get rid of ants in Dubai. Are there any natural remedies or would you need a pest control service in Dubai? Before you decide, it is important to understand why there might be an infestation of ants in your home in the first place.
The Reasons
Ants are mainly attracted to homes due to three major reasons: food, shelter, and water. Taking care of these ‘sources’ can help you get rid of them and possibly not have a problem with ants in the future.
- Food. Ants forage for food. So if they have easy access to food around your home, they’re likely to ‘invade’. Think crumbs, spills, any foods not stored properly especially sweets, open trash cans, etc. But you can take care of these easily. Spills and crumbs should be cleaned up as soon as possible, especially if you eat around the house and/or while watching television. Keep the kitchen as clean as possible, wiping the counters and floors with soap or antibacterial cleaners regularly. This will help you avoid buildup of sugar and grease residue which attracts ants. Foods like sugar, honey etc. should be properly stored in airtight jars. Otherwise, their smell is likely to attract ants. Trash cans inside the house should be emptied regularly. If possible, throw foods separately in a bag before throwing them in the garbage to avoid odors.
- Water. Excess moisture around the house is also likely to attract ants, particularly carpenter ants who like moist areas to nest. Bathrooms are likely places for ants to nest due to moisture but standing water near the kitchen sink can also attract ants. Hence, keeping bathrooms and kitchen free of water pools is important. Make sure there is no leaking water, near the sinks, taps, tubs, pipes etc.
- Shelter. Your home might feel a safe environment for ants to build their colonies, especially if they can enter easily. As a preventive measure, try to seal all kinds of cracks, holes, and openings (including doors and windows) to eliminate entrances. However, consult pest control companies in Dubai before you do so for the best ways of first eliminating all ants from inside the home and then sealing up the entrances properly.
Natural Remedies
Before calling in the professionals, you can try some natural ways to get rid of the ants in your home, especially if you can only spot a few, along with the preventive measures mentioned above. These include using ingredients that are already available in the home – like ground cinnamon, vinegar/water solution (which you can use to clean counters and mop floors), and the juice of citrus fruits (like lemons and oranges) – in the corners and near all possible entryways. Moreover, it seems a sprinkling of boric acid near cracks and crevices also does the trick. However, care must be taken with all such measures as they might be unsafe with kids and/or pets around, especially boric powder.
Call the Professionals
The best solution for any kind of pest control is to call in the professionals and have a complete pest management solution. A do-it-yourself strategy might work temporarily in eliminating the ants from inside the house but if you haven’t located and taken care of the ant colony, it is likely that the infestation can begin again. It might even be inside your home! This is where ServiceMarket can hook you up without too much hassle with the best pest control companies in Dubai that can help you solve your ant infestation problems with no trouble.
