Ant trails are irritating and common pests that can infect any home. Caused by scout ants locating unsecured food sources in a home and creating a pheromone trail that is followed by other ants, ant trails can be stubborn and hard to remove sources of frustration. Not only do ant trails infest food stores, but they can also attract predatory insects such as spiders into your home.
Most traditional methods of preventing ant trails in a home involve the use of powerful spray-on insecticides that leave a barrier of toxic chemicals inside your home. The solutions, while effective, present a serious health risk to both pets and children.
Diatomaceous Earth To Prevent Ants?
Diatomaceous earth is a highly effective alternative to these dangerous chemical solutions. Working through a purely mechanical system, diatomaceous earth is a completely inert fine white powder that is composed primarily of silica. When ants encounter diatomaceous earth, it binds to their exoskeleton and absorbs the lipid oils inside their bodies, fatally dehydrating them.
Diatomaceous earth is completely food-safe, poison and chemical free and totally natural. In this article we’ll detail a simple four step process for eliminating ant trails from your home with diatomaceous earth.
Step 1: Remove Causes of Ant Infestation
Ant trails are generally caused by unsecured food or food leftovers that have been left out. Begin by checking your entire home for unattended food and securing all food storage. Thoroughly vacuum, sweep and mop your home and dry all surfaces.
Step 2: Identify Activity Regions & Apply Diatomaceous Earth
Once you’ve secured all food sources and cleaned your entire home, proceed to identify the areas that harbor ant activity. Mark these regions out and place a fine layer of diatomaceous earth that intersects with the ant trail.
Also identify all of the points of incursion around your house and apply diatomaceous earth to them. Cracks in baseboards, under doors and around window frames are some of the most common places through which ants gain access to a home.
The most economical and fastest way to apply diatomaceous earth in these areas is with a diatomaceous earth applicator or duster. For information on the best tool to use to distribute diatomaceous earth in your home, check out our article on Squeeze Dusters and Bulb Dusters: Which One is Best?.
If you find an area that harbors a large number of ants, surround them with a perimeter of diatomaceous earth. They will need to cross it to leave your home and will subsequently expire.
Step 3: Wait For Diatomaceous Earth to Work
After application, the diatomaceous earth should effectively eliminate all ants in your home within 48 hours. If the diatomaceous earth has been disrupted by environmental factors such as wind or rain, or if the ants have adjusted the patterns of their trails to avoid the diatomaceous earth, reapply and wait a further 48 hours.
Step 4: Permanently Eliminate the Ant Infestation
In order to permanently eliminate an ant infestation from, your home, you’ll need to deal with the external source of ants outside of your home. For further information, take a look at our article on Diatomaceous Earth Natural Ant Hill Treatment.
Diatomaceous Earth Information Guide:
We have a wide variety of food grade diatomaceous earth resources for you look through to make your life a little easier and chemical-free. Please check out the other valuable resources and versatile application uses for silica-rich diatomaceous earth below:
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- Going Green With Diatomaceous Earth
Please reach out regarding any information above. In the future, more share-worthy useful enhancements, experiences and effects of diatomaceous earth will be added as the benefits continue to pile up. Always welcome for more insight and awareness, click the button to see the most recommended beautifully blended product that combines both high quality food grade diatomaceous earth powder and pure organic silica together in one formula.