In the last few days, I noticed ants trailing on my carpet!
But why? I tried to figure it out.
Oh! I remembered that my baby boy had dropped juice.
My children and pets play on it all the time. So, this is the reason. Now, my carpet is an attraction for them.
I tried a few ways to stop ant infestations on carpets but failed badly.
They are still roaming there. I lost hope and consulted with experts for suggestions. Now I have 4 expert tips to get rid of ants in carpets.
Are you facing the same problem?
Don’t fret!
As I’m here to share my experience and the way to solve this pesky and frustrating problem in the most effective way possible.
Ants on Carpet: Do They Live There?
They always seek these two things in your home.
Instead, ants invade your home for food and moisture. Meaning, they can live anywhere in your house.
But not carpet unless there is food debris or moisture. However, if they get the slightest hint of food on the carpet, they are most likely to go there, even if they smell it a mile away.
After all, it is their duty to collect food all the time and bring it back to the colony.
Besides, ants may be on your carpet because of moisture. Liquid, or moisture, attracts the ants. So, if they feel dehydrated, then they look for it.
Plus, if they are on your carpet, that means one thing. There must be food crumbs or moisture somewhere.
Key Takeaways:
✅Food residue or any type of liquid that creates moisture, especially crumbs, spills, and sugary substances, attracts ants.
✅You can prevent ant infestations by adopting a few effective methods – natural remedies, chemical solutions, or getting help from a professional.
4 Expert Tips to Get Rid of Ants in Carpets and Reclaim Your Space
Dealing with ants is a frustrating job. But you can follow these top tips to eliminate ant infestations. Here are the methods you can apply:
1. Vacuum Your Carpet
Vacuuming works best to destroy ant nests in carpets and rugs. Food particles and sugar liquid can easily be trapped in carpet fibers.
Just make sure to use a vacuum to wipe out all these particles and residues.
Plus, it is a way to get rid of tiny black ants from entering your home and finding their way to food sources. You can also use a high-power vacuum cleaner to fill a vacuum bag with ants to get an instant result.
2. Use Natural Way
The best part of getting rid of ants from infesting is using natural ingredients.
It is safe and has effective applications if you want to remove ants naturally. It can confuse the ant and disrupt the ant’s trials.
As a result, the ant lost its way and left the place. Slowly, it becomes a permanent solution as well.
But what types of natural remedies can you use to get rid of ants naturally?
Here is a short list for you:
- Vinegar
- Citrus Peels
- Cucumber
- Baking Soda
- Powdered Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Pet-Friendly options
- Essential Oils
- Borax
3. Try Chemical Solutions
To remove and kill ants from the carpet, chemicals work like magic!
In other words, the wise decision is to use chemicals when the situation is getting out of control. It’s an effective ant-eliminating method.
There are a few of the best chemical options available that you can use on your carpet. Such as the following:
- Ant Bait Stations
- Ant Sprays
- Ant Dust
- Granular Ant Killer
- Professional Pest Control Treatments
4. Additional Products
Wait, the option for removing ants from your carpet is not over yet!
You can adopt some other effective methods to take preventative measures.
Let’s check the list below:
- Cimexa dust is a powerful pesticide
- Diatomaceous Earth (DE powder)
- Exterior Sprays (Bifen IT)
For example, there are different types of ant baits available, like solid ant bait, liquid ant bait, and granular ant bait.
What Can I Do to Solve Ant Problem?
Want an ant-free home?
Well, you have the freedom to take a few preventative steps. They are as follows:
Start From Indoor
To clean up the overcrowding of ants on your carpet, start indoors, following a few steps. Plus, it is a great tactic to stop them from moving in.
- Step 1: Clean the area and the carpet thoroughly. Your carpet might be attached to trash, food debris, and moisture.
- Step 2: Use vinegar to wipe the area because ants hate its smell. To do that, mix distilled white vinegar with water. Now spray it in every suspicious corner and spot.
- Step 3: Keep your ants out, and for this, make a border with a few ingredients, such as spray or sprinkle. It won’t let the ants inside. For that, you can use cinnamon, baby powder, coffee grounds, borax, soap, essential oils, etc.
Focus on Outdoor Treatments
You might forget about the outdoors to remove ant infestations.
However, it can turn into a danger if ants grow their colony massively on your lawn or other outdoor space.
Good news! The following steps can solve this problem:
- Step 1: Find out the location and source. Mark it with flags, or keep remembering the spot.
- Step 2: Now create an outdoor border or ant line using ingredients that smell strong.
- Step 3: Seal the entrances of ants, and in this way, you can stop their moving activity. They can’t get in or get out.
Store Food And Manage Waste Properly
We store food. However, sometimes it becomes a headache for us.
Do you know why? Well, it’s because of improper storage and waste management. Foods easily release odors. To minimize it, you can use different storage options, like:
- Containers
- Box
- Ziplock Poly
So, it’s clear that ants don’t get attracted by the odor. On the other hand, food waste welcomes ants. They always seek food.
So, make sure to keep your carpet free of food particles. If they find a way to waste, you’ll see a long tail of them.
Find Leakage and Control Moisture
When ants get dehydrated, they look for moisture.
Yes, I’m talking about fixing any water-related issues that drag ants to the spot. Most of the time, the carpet area gets water sprinkled accidentally.
As a result, moisture starts to create. Hence, inspect the carpet regularly to solve this problem.
Additionally, if you notice any wet spots, fix them. Maybe your ceiling is leaking or your pipes are leaking water.
Regularly Clean Your House and Carpet
To prevent an ant infestation, there is nothing more important than cleaning your carpet and house regularly.
Always inspect your carpet and vacuum it. This, in return, will always remove all the food particles. So, ants won’t show any interest in your carpet.
Find the Entry Points and Seal Them
Ants are usually curious insects that can get entry into your home in many ways.
But the good part is that all these entry points are easily identifiable.
To find the point, you can focus on a few things, as follows:
- Home’s Foundation
- Walls
- Floor
- Cracks
- Gaps
- Openings
After identifying, seal the point. If needed, use caulk or a suitable material.
Pro Tips:
Using the ant trail, you can find out the entry point. It will be easy to find them and save time as well.
Trim the Garden & Branches
Focusing inside the home is not the only way to prevent ant’s activity. You might have plants near your home. So, make the habit of trimming them from time to time.
Why? Well, a well-trimmed garden becomes less attractive to ants. If possible, keep the garden and plants away from your home.
Do you have larger trees that have branches near your window or wall?
Then trim them as much as needed. Otherwise, these branches can work as a bridge for them. They’re likely carpenter ants, natural ants, pharaoh ants, fire ants, and yellow ants.
Observe Pest Situation
Cleaning is not the last thing you can do. Monitor the pest situation as well.
Remember, they are fast and tricky!
They can hide faster than you think after damaging your things.
So, your goal is to monitor and control them. Before you try anything for a solution, monitor pest activity. Based on the activity, use traps, baits, chew cards, or manual tracking to control them.
Before doing it, maintain safety protocols as well. If it is not possible to track them regularly, then do it at least once a week. If needed, do a deep clean to find them.
Call Professional for Ant Colony
Are you done with all the methods you know to control the pest? Still see ants? Then it’s time to seek professional assistance as soon as possible.
They are the experts in this field and know very well how to tackle things.
At first, they will inspect your situation and then identify the problem. Afterward, they will take the necessary action as early as possible to eliminate the problem.
The End
In summary, ants are not a matter of worry, when they appear on your carpet. These 4 expert tips to get rid of ants in carpets cover every detail to solve the ant problem.
Adopting these methods doesn’t let them know what happened. Plus, it’s a good chance to remove ants from the carpet completely.
But never forget to inspect your carpet regularly, especially looking for food particles and moisture. After all, it’s never tough to handle it when you take action at the right time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What smell do ants hate the most?
Ants are allergic to different types of smells. They hate the smell of lavender, mint, basil, oregano, eucalyptus, and thyme. All of them contain linalool. This thing keeps any other insect away. The best part is that it’s not harmful to small children.
What keeps ants away permanently?
All you need to do is use a mixture to keep them away permanently. This mixture is made of borax and diatomaceous earth. Mix it with biking water, and now pour it into the holes. It will eliminate all the ants.
What do exterminators use for indoor ants?
Most exterminators use boric acid for indoor use. It’s a common chemical and a kind of powder that needs to be spread around the house. Ants are attracted by them, and it works as an effective solution.
Does Lysol stop ants?
Yes, Lysol stops and kills the ants if they come into contact. It’s also true that Lysol cannot wipe out ant colonies. Lysol has different smells, and ants can smell it from far away. So, they leave their colony if you use Lysol.
Do mothballs keep ants away?
No, mothballs cannot keep ants away because they’re not effective at all. It might help to get rid of moths and larvae, but it cannot keep bugs, spiders, mice, or ants away.
