Large Black Ants in House: How to Get Rid?
In summer, they reach their peak activity: ants, those small, industrious insects. In the garden, they loosen the soil, devour dead animals, and feed on, among other things, the larvae of various pests.
However, they can also become a nuisance, for example, when they enter the house in large numbers. Instead of resorting to chemical pesticides against these beneficial little creatures, one should rely on tried-and-tested home remedies to get rid of them.
What helps against ant trails?
In their search for food, some ant species enter houses and apartments. Once they find a food source, they lay down a scent trail that guides their fellow ants. This is how so-called ant trails are formed.
Quickly removing crumbs and food scraps—including those from pets—helps prevent this. Food supplies should be stored in tightly sealed containers, including in the refrigerator. Garbage should be taken out of the house daily.
Home remedies: Repel ants with strong smells
To keep ants out of the house, cracks and crevices can be sealed with silicone. Strong smells also disrupt the ants’ sense of direction. Oils or herbal concentrates, such as lavender and mint, have proven effective.
Home remedies like lemon peel, vinegar, cinnamon, chili, cloves, and fern fronds, placed in front of entrances and along ant trails and nests, also help to gently drive the insects away.
Lime stops ants in the apartment
An alternative is alkaline substances like lime or chalk. Ants avoid contact with them and will not walk across a thick chalk line or a trail of garden lime. However, the insects will try to circumvent the line.
Baking powder is not effective against ants.
Baking powder is considered a tried-and-tested home remedy against ants. However, if the ants come into contact with it, they die a painful death.
Since ants, while they can be a nuisance, are very beneficial to nature, killing them should be avoided whenever possible. Furthermore, the effectiveness of this method is limited, as the nest remains undisturbed.
Ants protect aphids
Ants like the excretions of aphids, the honeydew.
Garden ants are a common pest in the garden. They prefer sweet foods such as honeydew, the excretions of aphids and scale insects. Ants follow aphids to the tips of many plants and even protect them from predators.
To get rid of the ants, you should control the aphids. At the same time, you can try to strengthen the plant, as these pests preferentially attack weakened plants.
Use gravel instead of sand
Black garden ants like to build their nests under paving slabs, which warm up quickly in spring. The ants carry out sand crumb by crumb until the slabs are no longer stable.
When laying the slabs, fine gravel should be used as a base instead of sand, as ants cannot carry it away. Another option is to completely fill the joints with mortar.
Moving an ant nest: Here’s how
Other species live under the lawn and burrow into the soil. If they become a nuisance, they can be relocated by placing a large flowerpot filled with dry grass and a little jam over the nest.
After some time, the ants will move into the pot, taking their white eggs with them. Once the relocation is complete, the flowerpot can be lifted with a shovel, placed in a plastic box, and set aside in a suitable location with loose soil at least 30 meters away.
More than 100 different species in our latitudes
More than 100 ant species live in Germany. They are an important part of the ecosystem. At first glance, they differ only in size, which ranges from just under two to ten millimeters. But their color and nest-building methods also vary: underground, above ground, in old wood, and sometimes even in buildings.
Tapinoma magnum: Invasive ant causes damage
An invasive ant species from the Mediterranean region is becoming an increasing problem in Germany. The large glandular ant (Tapinoma magnum) forms enormous colonies and can damage sidewalks, roads, buildings, and electrical systems. Furthermore, it remains active even in winter.
How do I recognize Tapinoma magnum?
Identifying Tapinoma magnum is very difficult for laypeople, however, there are some Typical characteristics that help in making an assessment.
- The ants appear in large numbers and sometimes form multi-lane roads.
- They are black and come in different sizes from two to five millimeters.
- If you provoke the ants, they emit a rancid smell.
If an infestation is suspected, ants can be submitted for identification to institutions such as the natural history museums in Stuttgart and Karlsruhe, or Report it. Once the ant infestation has spread, professional pest control is usually the only solution. In any case, you should inform the city or municipality.
No danger to humans
Ants are harmless to humans. When threatened, they spray formic or methane acid, which burns on the skin. However, the small amounts released are harmless to people who are not allergic.
Ants in the house: How do you find the nest?
An important indicator of an ant nest is an ant trail. Following this trail to its end will lead you to the nest. It might be located behind a wall or under the floor, for example, as ant species prefer to build their nests in cavities. Small piles of wood shavings or other building materials can also indicate a nearby nest.
What helps against ants in the house?
Ants can be driven away from the house with strong-smelling oils or herbal concentrates. Lavender and mint, for example, have proven effective, as have lemon peel, vinegar, cinnamon, chili, and cloves. Additionally, cracks and crevices should be sealed with silicone to block the ants’ entry.
Does coffee grounds help against ants?
The strong smell of coffee grounds can help repel ants. To do this, first let the coffee grounds dry thoroughly and then sprinkle them onto the ant trail.
Why shouldn’t you use baking soda against ants?
Baking powder causes the ants to die a painful death – environmentalists therefore advise against it. At the same time, the effectiveness of this measure is limited, as the nest remains undisturbed and therefore new ants will likely emerge.
