Little black ants are small dark brown, black, or jet black-colored ants; workers measure around 1.5 mm and the queens can be up to 4 mm in size. They mostly live outdoors but can invade your homes if sources of food are available for them. These ants don’t pose a direct threat to you but can be quite troublesome if they infest your home. They can prey on your food and also spoil the cleanliness of your homes. Let’s check out some methods to send these unwanted visitors packing!

Maintain Cleanliness of Your Homes

First and foremost, you must keep your homes clean to keep these ants away. Try not to let food scraps litter the house which could attract the ants. Do not keep dirty dishes in the sink and be sure to keep garbage securely contained. Your food should be stored in sealed containers so that these invaders can’t get inside.

Monitor Damp Areas and Cracks in Your Homes

Ants like to build their colonies in dark, wet areas, especially within your home. Be sure to check the areas around the kitchen sink, the window and door sills, the basement, and any other protected areas in your home which might provide moisture or darkness. Seal any cracks on your walls or doors with silicone caulk to keep them ant-free.

Spray Vinegar

You can spray vinegar around the house wherever you see these ants moving. Ants do not like the smell of vinegar and will most likely move on to a better-smelling spot. After the vinegar dries up on the surface, you can wipe it off with a wet cloth. Repeat this method several times a day to get some noticeable results.

Use Chemical Sprays

You can buy different types of over-the-counter chemical sprays for killing the ants in your homes; however, these chemical sprays have varying degrees of effectiveness. You can kill the ants by directly spraying it over them, but you will need to repeat this process as many times as you see the ants in your house. The spray kills the ant which comes in direct contact with it, but the ants which are within their safe colonies remain unaffected.

Set Bait

Setting bait can be an effective way to remove the infestation as well. You can place the bait on the ants’ trails and near the colonies if you can locate them. The worker ants will consume a portion of the bait and carry the remaining morsels to their nest. The ants in the nest will also eat the bait, effectively eliminating the colony.

Professional Extermination

Rest assured, these little creatures are not bothersome if you see them in nature, but you definitely would prefer them to stay away from your home. To completely get rid of these ants, you can hire some professional help. These professionals make it a point to identify and clear all the ants from your homes, and protect your home from any future invasion.