Tips for Getting Rid of Carpenter Ants Naturally

Is it possible to live without ants in our house? I think the answer is Impossible and most of the people of this universe will agree with me. Because, ants are everywhere in this world. But, no one like to live with ants. Because, sometimes they become aggressive, they destroy our property, food, and also bite us. We can not keep them away from our house forever. But, proper steps and effective techniques can keep them away from our house for the maximum time. Carpenter ant is one of the dangerous species of ant. They destroy our valuable wooden property. Now, I am describing how to get rid of carpenter ants naturally.

For getting rid of carpenter ants naturally, we have to know them and know their characteristic.

This types of ants are one of the largest member of ant species. They are black in color and sometimes reddish brown. Their length varies from ¾" to ½". They have round thorax and one node on their back. They have a pair of elbow angle antenna. Which make difference between termites and carpenter ants.

They do not eat wood like termites. They make tunnels inside woods because of making nest. They lay eggs into those tunnels and breed their babies. They like moist places for making nest. So, they find woods which are moist and warm. They also find places which are very near to the food and water sources and also safe for living.

They like to eat sugar and protein. Sugar, and substances produced using sugar greatly attract ants. Any type of sweet, fruit juice, honey, cake, milk, etc. greatly attract this type of ants. Also foods which contains protein like meat, fish, human foods made using protein greatly attract them.

Natural techniques of getting rid of carpenter ants

One of the good technique of getting rid of them naturally is to pour water into their hive. We have to identify their hive and then enlarge the opening of the hive and pour hot what or cold water into it. Make sure the entire hive is filled with the water. You can also mix some lemon juice with the water for better result. This will kill all the members of the hive and you will get rid of carpenter ants naturally.

Another way of getting rid of it is to remove entire rotten wood which is infected by carpenter ants. If the infected area is small and less important for our house then this technique is useful.

If we can remove all products which attract them to our house, then they will be discourage of making hive in our house. We will have to make all the food sources unreachable to them. And will have to try to keep our bathroom, and kitchen sink clean and dry after using. This will prevent carpenter ant infestation in our house.

Neem oil is a good bio oil, used for controlling house pests naturally. This is being a bio oil, is not toxic and can be used inside our house. Anyone can use neem oil for getting rid of any types of ants naturally.

Another natural product is corn products, used for controlling carpenter ant infestation. They can not digest corn. When they drink after eating corn, then the corn powder start expanding coming to the contact of water and as a result they die.

Boric acid is also very useful for getting rid of carpenter ants. A 1:10 mixture of boric acid and sugar is very effective for killing them. The worker ants carry that mixture to their hive and eat altogether and die. It helps killing all the members of the hive.

Important Note:

It is very important to kill the queen of the hive. One hive consist with one Queen, few male and remaining worker member. If the queen can escape while conducting any killing operation, then it will boost the breeding rate for recovering the lost members of the hive. And the infestation become very dangerous. So, we should be very careful about the queen.

Hope following those techniques mentioned above will help anybody to get rid of carpenter ants naturally.

What Are Bed Bugs? How to Kill Bed Bugs

Bed bugs, scientifically known as Cimex lectularius, are small wingless insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. The adult has an oval-shaped structure and is reddish-brown in colour.

The upper surface of its body has a crinkled appearance and it is about 1/4 to 3/8 inch long. Its body is covered with short golden hair and its head is broad with a pair a prominent compound cone-like eyes.

The insect has 2 antennae segmented into 4 parts. It has weak flexible beak-like piercing mouthparts. It has 6 well-developed legs and simple claws to climb up rough surfaces.

It is very difficult to kill bed bugs and so a range of treatments is used to treat an infestation one of which is steam and heat treatments.

Steam treatment

Steam treatment using a portable steam machine is effective, but time-consuming. You must place the nozzle directly over the infested surface and move it at a rate of 30cm every 1 to 15 seconds. The quality of the steam is crucial. The machine must produce steam of a low vapour flow and high temperature.

The recommended setting is dry steam with less than 5% humidity at 94°C applied at high pressure. Low vapour output prevents the treated surface from becoming very wet. The machine must produce a minimum temperature of 60°C (140°C).

The steamer should hold at least 50 ounces of water - enough to last for an hour of continual usage. After treatment, the treated surface should record at least 70°C - 80°C on the infrared digital thermometer.

Keep the steam flow rate at a minimum. Use a suitable nozzle to avoid distributing the bed bugs. Vacuum all bed bugs after applying the treatment. The surfaces you have to cover determine the length of time it takes.

It takes at least 1 hour to set up the machine and clean the mattress alone. Add extra time for plush furniture, carpets, rugs and other appropriate surfaces.

Benefits

a. Steam kills bed bugs at all stages in the life cycle when applied properly.

b. Steam flushes them out of the harbourage.

c. Steam combined with other treatments can reduce a significant amount of the population.

d. Steam can reach areas a vacuum cannot reach.

e. Steam treatment is a cheap effective way to kill bed bugs.

Drawbacks

a. Steam treatment requires patience.

b. Steam must be applied slowly and closely to the infested items for effective results.

c. Steam treatment is a continuous process. Taking breaks between treatment gives the pests time to escape.

d. Steam treatment on its own cannot eliminate the bed bug population.

e. The treatment has no residual effect and there is no guarantee against re-infestation.

f. Steam cannot penetrate the mattress and other materials.

g. The treatment is not suitable for every surface.

h. Steam can damage wood, electronic devices, paper and other items sensitive to water.

i. Sometimes the treatment has to be applied multiple times to get the required results.

j. If used inappropriately, the steam can blow away pesticide residue in the treated area. The towel over the nozzle may obstruct the release of steam pressure and prevents the steam escaping forcefully to kill bed bugs.

Steam is not the magic bullet to solve the bed bug problem. You must combine it with other treatments to kill the pests. If you choose to use a desiccant, wait until the treated surface dries before you apply the powder.

The use of mattress encasement after applying steam treatment is good.

Health and safety issues

Steam needs a minimum heat of 60°C. This exposes you to extreme heat. Moisture contributes to mould. And, using pesticide in an area that has just been treated with steam can be dangerous to occupants in the house.