Menace of ants

Ants are a very big nuisance. There is no house which has not    been   infested with ants, some time or the other. The ants attack our kitchens, pantries and places where eatables are kept.      

Is  it not surprising how they locate the exact place, where their favoured food is kept. I sometimes wonder how they  find their way so easily.

 The ants are of different varieties.

  Big  black ants: These are found where ever food is available. They mainly survive on the larvae collected near the drain pipes and cleavages of the wall.

Small black ones are seen in large groups, moving together. They collect their food  from the  leftovers in the sinks, shelves and drain pipes. They also carry food to their hordes for the queen  mother and also  to preserve food  for rainy days.

Small red ants are the most clever ones. They even bite humans, which is very painful.They  hide in the drawers, beds,doors and windows. Infact they can reach any where.

 Ants move in rows, in large  groups. It is interesting to watch their discipline. They carry their prey on their back. You might have seen the ants carrying a dead cockroach jointly on their back.

We must avoid killing these creatures  with   insecticides available in the market, because they are harmful  not only for the children and pets, but for adults suffering from asthama  and other  diseases of  the lungs.. There are simple and effective methods to get rid of the menace of ants. Given below are some simple and harmless remedies:

If coffee  beans are kept  at the entrance of the kitchen or a room  where  there are too many ants, you will be surprised that the anfs will not cross this line.

Borax powder mixed with some sugar, kept  near the sinks, cupboards and other hiding places of the ants, is effective to drive away the ants.

Three table spoons of pepper powder and cloves mixed with  one  tablespoon flour spread near cracks is also quite an effective method.

Vinegar poured over the mud mounds  inside which several colonies af ants reside can  destroy them en mass.

Written forB A R  weekly sharing thread 1st March to 7th March
photo courtesy google