• How to get rid of Ants without killing them or using harsh chemicals    • Termites and pest control - What you can do to reduce infestation

How to get rid of Ants without killing them or using harsh chemicals


Here is a great way to get ride of ants without killing them or using any chemicals. It's common sense really, but it does require a bit of effort and work.

What You Will Need:

Putty or Tape (any kind really)
A sponge
Kitchen Cleaner or Soap
Jars or other airtight containers
A rubbish bin with a sealed lid

Before you begin, make sure that your rubbish is in a sealed bin. You don't want a bin with no lid, as that in and of itself is an ant-magnet. Make the investment, and put your garbage in a container with fitted, tightly sealed top.

Okay - now that that's done, check to see if there is any main little bit of food lying around (could be a bit of spilled sugar, or something that fell on the floor... anything... no matter how tiny) that the ants could be looking for. Are they congregating in a certain area? Find what they're after, and get rid of it.

Next, take any food that you have lying around that is not in a sealed container and put it in either an airtight container or in the fridge. That means everything - even things like rice in a plastic bag, or cereal in a box, etc. You want to have everything where the ants can't detect it.

Now, trace the trail of ants (if there is one), find the main opening where they are coming into the house, and seal it off with tape or putty. If I use really sticky tape I use two pieces stuck to each other so that it blocks the hole, but the ants don't get stuck to it. This will prevent new ants from coming in, though somehow, miraculously, it doesn't prevent them from leaving. Somehow, every house has an ant back door with a turnstile so that the ants can leave but not get back in. Seriously.

This is the time to start cleaning the kitchen (or whatever room the ants are in). Clean everything, and I mean clean it! Get every bit of dried up food, sugar, etc. off of the floor, countertops, cupboards, etc. Every bit!

By the time you have finished doing this, the congregation of ants will probably have dispersed. If so, you can now clean the area where the ants were previously. If the ants aren't all gone yet, wait for a couple of hours until they leave, and then clean that area. It's very important to clean the areas where the ants left trails, as the smell of other ants is what attracts more ants.


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Termites and pest control - What you can do to reduce infestation


Underground termites are active throughout the World. You cannot see them and they do not get a great deal of publicity but they cause more damage to homes each year than do floods, fires and storms combined.


Description

Termites are commonly, but incorrectly, called "white ants". The more common species are typically a few millimetres long, with a snout or mandibles for chewing. All have straight antennae, differentiating them from ants and they are most active during the hotter months of summer.


Habitat

Subterranean termites exclusively live underground or concealed, near moisture and a cellulose based food source. Their concealed nests may be in a wooden stump, underground or in a structure. They must continually seek moisture and are rarely seen foraging. Common house infestations are found in skirting boards, timber window frames, timber reveals as well as bathroom, kitchen and laundry cupboards where moisture is found.


Biology

Currently the number of termite species around the world is more than 2500 and so differ in their appearance and behaviour. However in general they are small insects with workers tending to a large immobile queen continually laying eggs. Termites are known to venture a large distance (up to 150 metres) from the colony in search of food and moisture.


What you can do to limit infestation

The first obvious place for termites and other pests to get in is from under or alongside the home itself. There are two vulnerable spots for a home with normal slab-on-ground construction; up through the plumbing or electrical pipe penetrations and up into the wall cavities along the perimeter of the home.
It is not easy, however, to find out where termites have entered your home as they generally enter through hidden access points. You will need a pest control expert to find and treat termites, but you can still limit infestation by doing the following;

* Clear any obstacles or debris from your building perimeter to enable ongoing visual inspection around your home.
* Remove all wood, tiles, bricks etc. stacked up against external walls of the house that may allow concealed entry.
* Rectify leaking taps, condensate discharge from air conditioners, hot water system overflow discharge, etc. to reduce termite access to free water sources.
* Review lawn and garden reticulation to direct watering away from the house perimeter and only water during daylight hours.
* Where possible, remove any potential termite food sources - scrap timber, compost heaps, wooden garden stakes, wooden landscaping features (sleepers), etc.
* Install termite monitoring/baiting system and remember to check them regularly.
* Remove garden mulch from the building perimeter and relocate flower and garden beds away from the house walls.
* And of course, have regular inspections undertaken by an accredited Technician. These should be annually or more often in areas where termite activity is high.

There are different solutions to control termite infestation depending on your problem and its extent. Before undertaking any treatments getting advice from a trained specialist is always advised as they will undertake a thorough assessment of your particular termite problem. However by following the steps listed above you should significantly reduce the risk of pest activity in your home or office.


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