Do you know what the most numerous insects on Earth are? The ubiquitous ants. It’s estimated that nearly one quadrillion ants share the Earth with us. That’s a 150,000 of them for every human. Quite often, share is not the right word. They invade our kitchens, live in cracks and crevices, steal our food and, occasionally, sting us with their sharp mandibles.
No matter what you do to get rid of these pesky little creatures, it seems they bounce right back. They may disappear for a while, and just when you think they are gone for good, they return. Anyone who has any experience with ants knows they are a tough opponent. So, why are they so hard to eliminate?
Reasons Ants Are So Difficult to Defeat
There are several reasons ants are so hard to get rid of. The main reason is they live in huge colonies, each of which has hundreds of thousands of individuals. Their sheer number makes it difficult to kill them all. Even if you locate their nest, destroy it, and kill every ant in it, there will still be many survivors who were out foraging at the time. These survivors will quickly give rise to another colony.
The second reason is ant colonies build their homes inside hard-to-access places, such as cracks and crevices in the walls, cavities in cabinetry, deep inside the ground, and under pavements. These places are hard to find and harder to access. This makes them very difficult to eliminate. You can kill a few hundred of them, but you cannot kill them all.
The third reason is when ants are disturbed, they quickly relocate to a safer place. This makes them harder to locate. You may believe you have exterminated the entire colony only to discover later they have just moved their home.
The fourth reason is consumer pesticides people use at home are not potent enough. You may kill a dozen or even a few hundred ants with home spray but cannot kill them all. Repeated use of such pesticides can result in the ants developing immunity against them.
How to Eliminate Ants Once and for All
While it is difficult to get rid of ants, it’s by no means impossible. With regular pest-control service, you can keep them out of your home and out of your life.
A regular pest-control maintenance plan for ant elimination may include the following:
- Full property inspection and determining the severity of infestation.
- Locating and destroying the nests using pesticides and other methods.
- Depriving the ants of food by removing the source. Ants are attracted by food.
- Drawing a barrier with chalk, talcum powder or other chemicals. Ants are repelled by calcium carbonate.
- Regular inspection for a new infestation and treatment using appropriate methods.
Ants are among the most resilient creatures on Earth and exterminating them is very difficult. A regular pest-control maintenance plan is the best way to control them. For more information on how to get rid of ants, check out the pest control service and maintenance bundles offered by Safe Haven Pest Control.
