Ants appear to be pretty harmless to a lot of people. In the majority of temperate climates, ants do very little damage, although red ants bite people all all around the world.
However, there are more serious ants in warmer climes and some of these ants can even be responsible for hospitalzations and even a couple of fatalities. Red ant bites itch or even hurt, but picture a baby wandering into a red ant nest.
What if that baby fell onto a fire ant nest or a red carpenter ant nest? Carpenter ants can become an inch (25 mm) long and a bite can draw blood. There are venomous ants in South America and exploding ants in Southeast Asia, although they will not kill humans.
Soldier ants are pretty scary too. In fact, the number of dangerous ants in the warmer countries can get very worrying.
Indeed, merely two weeks ago, my dog was covered in big red welts all around his stomach and under carriage. He was clearly in great pain whilst he walked and was off his food.
It has been quite hot here in Thailand this summer because the monsoon was late, so he probably dug a shallow hole in the soil to stay cool.
He was probably swarmed by ants whilst he was asleep, but could not shake them off before they bit him. He was in a very bad state for three days.
Some ants are vegetarians but others will gladly feed on meat, if it is available. Most ants will consume dead pests and small, dead mammals. Most will also attack fit animals, including humans, if they feel attacked.
One trouble is that insects can become resistant to chemical treatments and sometimes this immunity is localized, so it is better not to use chemicals if you can help it.
Chemicals may also present a hazard to children, which makes keeping them and using them risky too.
Boric acid is a derivative of boron which is a natural product. Boric acid or borax is extremely effective at destroying bugs that take food back to their colonies, so this includes ants and termites.
It can be mixed with sugar and water to make it more appealing to ants or can be spread around the garden with no danger. It is harmless to children, pets and mammals alike.
Cayenne pepper is another deterrent-cum-killer. Grow your own cayenne peppers, liquidize them, add to boiling water, then spray onto ants and ant runs once it has cooled. It will not kill a colony, but it will deter foraging ants.
Corn meal is a way of ant and cockroach control. Sprinkle it around, when the pests eat it, it will swell up with their digestive juices and cause them to explode. Not very pleasant, but satisfying and effective all the same.
There are other biological solutions for killing or deterring pests as well, some are favourites of one country or local people.
Why don\'t you enquire among the older folks where you live and find out what their parents used to make use of to control ants and other pests the natural way?
However, there are more serious ants in warmer climes and some of these ants can even be responsible for hospitalzations and even a couple of fatalities. Red ant bites itch or even hurt, but picture a baby wandering into a red ant nest.
What if that baby fell onto a fire ant nest or a red carpenter ant nest? Carpenter ants can become an inch (25 mm) long and a bite can draw blood. There are venomous ants in South America and exploding ants in Southeast Asia, although they will not kill humans.
Soldier ants are pretty scary too. In fact, the number of dangerous ants in the warmer countries can get very worrying.
Indeed, merely two weeks ago, my dog was covered in big red welts all around his stomach and under carriage. He was clearly in great pain whilst he walked and was off his food.
It has been quite hot here in Thailand this summer because the monsoon was late, so he probably dug a shallow hole in the soil to stay cool.
He was probably swarmed by ants whilst he was asleep, but could not shake them off before they bit him. He was in a very bad state for three days.
Some ants are vegetarians but others will gladly feed on meat, if it is available. Most ants will consume dead pests and small, dead mammals. Most will also attack fit animals, including humans, if they feel attacked.
One trouble is that insects can become resistant to chemical treatments and sometimes this immunity is localized, so it is better not to use chemicals if you can help it.
Chemicals may also present a hazard to children, which makes keeping them and using them risky too.
Boric acid is a derivative of boron which is a natural product. Boric acid or borax is extremely effective at destroying bugs that take food back to their colonies, so this includes ants and termites.
It can be mixed with sugar and water to make it more appealing to ants or can be spread around the garden with no danger. It is harmless to children, pets and mammals alike.
Cayenne pepper is another deterrent-cum-killer. Grow your own cayenne peppers, liquidize them, add to boiling water, then spray onto ants and ant runs once it has cooled. It will not kill a colony, but it will deter foraging ants.
Corn meal is a way of ant and cockroach control. Sprinkle it around, when the pests eat it, it will swell up with their digestive juices and cause them to explode. Not very pleasant, but satisfying and effective all the same.
There are other biological solutions for killing or deterring pests as well, some are favourites of one country or local people.
Why don\'t you enquire among the older folks where you live and find out what their parents used to make use of to control ants and other pests the natural way?
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on many topics, but is at present concerned with home ant infestation problems. If you would like to know more, visit our website at Bugs Infestation.
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