Ants are not the most annoying and dangerous pests. But they are not completely innocuous either. They can bite and sting you and spread foodborne diseases. They may be closer than you think. In fact, there may be ants in your bedroom right now. Here’s how you can get rid of the ants in your bedroom.
Why you have ants in your bedroom
You have to know why there are ants in your bedroom in the first place. If you know why they are there, you can focus your efforts to remove these reasons. This targeted approach means you have a better chance of getting rid of the infestation, compared to just blindly killing ants and expecting the nest to die off.
- Human homes are perfect nesting places for ants. Your home is not unique. Human homes in general are attractive places for ant nests. This is because human homes have everything ants need – resources and shelter. Human homes have the food, water, and warmth for ants to thrive. Ants thrive particularly well in kitchens.
- Your bedroom has food and water. Yes, there are more ideal places in your home for ants to thrive. Even your bathroom is more ideal than your bedroom. But this doesn’t mean that your bedroom is completely safe from ant infestations. If you have food and water in your bedroom, ants will see your bedroom as a bountiful place and set up their nest there.
- Your bedroom is easily accessible. Your bedroom may be bountiful, but it can still be ant-free if it is inaccessible. You may have ants in your bedroom if there are passageways for ants. For instance, windows near tree branches can serve as bridges between your home and the outside world. They are some of the most common ways ants get into human homes. Cracks, gaps, and holes in doors, windows, and walls are also common passageways.
How to get rid of ants in your bedroom
Ant infestations can be hard to eliminate because ants are resilient and resourceful. But thankfully, they are not invulnerable. You can actually get rid of the ants in your bedroom using very simple steps.
1. Call a pest control professional
The simplest thing you can do is just get the help of a pest control professional. You may think that is an overreaction because ants are not on the level of cockroaches, rats, and termites. But you will be surprised by the variety of pests these professionals can handle.
The best thing here is that you are sure you are getting rid of the pests. They are going to be handled by competent and knowledgeable people after all. But there is another advantage that is often overlooked – you are removing yourself from the equation, keeping yourself safe from ant bites and other dangers. Ant bites and stings are no laughing matter. Fire ants, for instance, can cause burning, itching, and swelling.
2. Clean your bedroom
Remember that there are ants in your bedroom because of two main reasons – resources and shelter. If you clean your bedroom, there is a high chance that you are depriving these ants of these two main reasons. Making your bedroom as unattractive to ants as possible is clearly a step in the right direction.
Different ants have different food preferences. For instance, Argentine ants like protein-rich foods while carpenter ants like sugar-rich foods. With that said, ants are generally foragers and they will take whatever they can get. Make sure you have little to no food crumbs and drink spills of any kind in your bedroom.
3. Find the ant nest
Finding indoor ant nests is relatively simple. Just look for the signs of ant activity and follow the trail. If you notice, ants travel in a line. This is because they leave pheromones behind whenever they are looking for resources. Other ants follow these pheromones to get to the resources, forming a line.
But following ant trails can be difficult too. Ants are too small. And sometimes, there are too few of them for you to properly see ant trails. There are other signs of ant activity. You can look for dead ants, mounds, swarms, and wood shavings. The ant nest will be near these. You should also take a look at carpets, closets, corners of windows, cracks and edges of walls, and damp spots on ceilings. These are some of the most common spots for ant nests in bedrooms.
4. Use commercial ant control products
Ant control products usually come in the form of baits and insecticides. Usually, ants eat them and die. The great thing about baits and insecticides is that ants can bring them back to their colony for others to eat too, so you are basically infiltrating their nest with poison. This is an effective way to kill the ant queen and get rid of the ant colony for good.
But remember that these commercial products can be harmful to people and pets too. You should be particularly careful of using them if you have children and unsupervised pets in your household. Make sure to read their instructions as well, so they function properly and safely.
5. Try natural methods
If you don’t like using baits and insecticides, you can go the natural route. You can mix boric acid and sugar in a 1:3 ratio to make a DIY ant bait. You can use essential oils and vinegar to disrupt ant trails and reduce the ants’ capability to find resources. And you can also simply pour boiling water into the ant nest.
There is this common misconception that natural methods are safer because they don’t have the toxic ingredients of commercial products. Natural methods are indeed somewhat safer but they are not entirely harmless. Boric acid and essential oils are toxic when ingested. Boric acid is also one of the primary ingredients of some commercial products. This misconception needs to die because it can put people in unnecessary danger.
Get rid of ants in your bedroom today
There are ants in your bedroom because human homes are ideal places for ant nests. Your bedroom is just as bountiful and warm as the other parts of your home. Get rid of the ants in your bedroom now with these simple tips. Make sure to follow the instructions in the labels of commercial products and don’t be too complacent in using DIY and natural methods.