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.
What Causes an Ant Infestation
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 the 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 the 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 like 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.
Ant Pest Control Tips
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.
- Firstly, seal off any openings in the walls of your home or near windows using caulk. It is relatively easy to use caulk to seal any openings in the home. However, if you find yourself too busy for the process you can always book an appointment with a handyman in Dubai who can do the job for you.
- Clean, clean, and clean! The number one rule for pest control is to keep your Dubai home as clean as possible.
- On top of cleaning up after yourself when you finish eating, you will also need to store any garbage left after your meal in a closed container. It would be a good idea to purchase trash cans with lids to seal off the food waste so that no insects can get into the bin. You should also take out your garbage as often as possible.
- Using some home remedies to deter insects from your house is also a great idea. 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. 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.
