Ant infestation is frustrating, especially in the kitchen, because it tries to get on your food and other spots. It is the worst pest issue and seems impossible to get rid of the ants completely. Ants roam around the house, get you stung when walking past them, and importantly they lead to severe problems. It was burrowing the wood furniture and get on the food and even spread bacteria.
Ants invade the house at a specific time of the year, and you may start seeing an ant extermination campaign. There are many methods that people try to get rid of ants. One of the standard methods is vacuuming.
It does make sense that vacuuming may kill ants, but should I vacuum ants? Is vacuuming ants effective in killing them?
Should you vacuum up ants
One good advantage of a vacuum cleaner is to remove ants. A vacuum cleaner is great to suck up a bunch of ants, and you can simply vacuum the line of ants if they are not in a group. Even though it is an excellent method to quickly get rid of ants, not all vacuum cleaners are suitable for the work.
The best vacuum cleaner for sucking up ants is the bagless vacuum. Once you are done with vacuuming the ants, you can empty the canister into a trash bag. After that, you can spray some pest or insect killer and seal the trash bag.
When using a vacuum to kill ants, make sure not to use it together with pest killer sprays. The combination of vacuum cleaner and insecticide is extremely harmful not only for the vacuum cleaner but also for you and your family. Also, avoid vacuuming spots or areas that have been in contact with insect killers or other chemicals.
Vacuuming ant is a cheap solution if you want to get rid of small colonies of ants. You do not need any fancy tools or accessories to kill ants. Just use a powerful vacuum cleaner, and you are good to get rid of the ants.
Do ants die when vacuumed
Yes, but the majority of ants will come out alive. Some ants cannot stand the distress of a vacuum, but ants are light and small in size. Their body proportion protects them when getting vacuumed. This is quite shocking considering the size of the ants, but they naturally have strong physic and structure. The remaining ants that survive from the vacuum distress will simply end up in the dirtbag or canister.
Assume that vacuuming kills ants, but is it the real solution? Though you can get rid of colonies of ants easily using a vacuum cleaner, you need to find the root of the problem. Yes, you have to find their trail. Follow the ant trail on the house to know their trend. Then you can start vacuuming following the ant trail to make sure if you get all the ants removed.
For a maximum result, you can use a vacuum cleaner with the ridged pipe so you can reach further of their trail. To improve efficiency, you may need to use a HEPA filter but do not use any powder products at the same time to kill the ants.
Do ants like carpet
You may have spotted ants running through the kitchen, but it is also common to find ant colonies under the carpet. Ants, in general, look for a place that is hidden or hard to reach. They prefer dark spots for their safety as well as breeding. In short, ants can be anywhere, but if they stay on the carpet, it will cause severe damage.
Ants like to stay under the carpet because they can hide in between the carpet fibers. It is a perfect hideaway spot for them. Once they make a home on the carpet, it will be troublesome to get rid of them, mainly if they already form a colony.
If you are not using the proper method, you will simply remove the ants from one spot to another. Though the chance of ants making a colony in the carpet is low, if they start invading the spot, they will quickly spread to other furniture and eventually in the entire house.
Can Ants live under the carpet
Though ants like to hide between the carpet fibers, they do not necessarily build nests under the carpet. Ants tend to find convenient and hideous places to build nests. This includes inside the walls, behind furniture, under rotten boards, and such. A dark and hideous place is perfect for their safety. In contrast, carpets cannot provide a hiding place and always put them in danger of being sweep out or stomped.
Ants only stay on the carpet for two reasons: leftover food and rotten flooring beneath the carpet. Leftover food attracts ants and other insects, so it is essential to always keep it clean.
Besides food, the floorboards beneath the carpet may get old and rot due to moisture and other reasons. The rotten board attracts ants to find a crack on the floor and start building their nest and colony. Plus, the carpet is the perfect spot to lurk for leftover food.
Given the situation, ants do not necessarily like to stay under the carpet for a long time. The carpet makes it visible for everyone sight and quickly drives them out. Once they get the leftover food, ants will quickly leave and build colonies, and nest in other places.
How do you get ants out of carpet
Even though ants do not build a nest on the carpet, but their presence is simply a nuisance. They stung anyone who accidentally stomps on them. Once an ant finds leftover food on the carpet, it will call the other colonies to come over, and without realizing it, you find groups of ants sitting on your carpet.
Ants on the carpet do not necessarily dangerous for humans unless they feel they are in danger. But still, they are a nuisance for many reasons. Here are some simple ways to get ants out of the carpet.
Dry clean
Are you surprised that dry cleaning can get rid of ants? Yes, dry cleaning can drive ants out of carpet because it simply washes them out. The key to drive ants out of carpet is to make sure if the carpet is clean. You can dry clean the carpet once in six to eight months.
Dry clean is a safe option to clean carpet because it does not use harmful detergents, damaging the fibers. If you are not sure, you can ask the dry clean companies to get rid of ants on the carpet.
Another option is to thoroughly clean the carpet. The aim is to get a clean carpet with no leftover food or spilled drink. You can dry clean or self-cleaning the carpet. The choice is yours as long as the carpet is cleaned thoroughly.
Vacuum
If you have cleaned the carpet, but there are still some ants on it, you can vacuum the ants. Regular vacuuming is essential to make sure the carpet is free from leftover food.
Make vacuuming a habit to keep the carpet clean, so there will be no ants on it. You can vacuum the carpet at least once a day or do as you fit, but vacuum the carpet regularly.
Please feel free to read our vacuum cleaners guides.
Disinfects
Disinfectant is another solution to get rid of ants. You can choose a disinfectant that is safe for carpet fibers. In case you wash the carpet on your own, be sure not to put water on it. If you wash the carpet with water like when you wash clothes, it will be another problem if the carpet does not dry thoroughly. Damp carpet attracts more ants and other insects, which means more headaches for you.
Exterminator
If you have done any methods but the ant infestation is still there, just make a call to the exterminator. A professional exterminator will not only get rid of the ants and but will also find the colony nearby.
What can you put on the carpet to kill ants
There are some simple solutions for DIY kill ants on the carpet. The easiest way is you need to make a barrier around the carpet to block their route. You can put some baby powder around the carpet because ants hate it. Baby powder weakens the pheromones and prevents them from communicating with each other. You can also spread the baby powder onto their nest, and they will die slowly.
What is a natural way to get rid of ants in the house
Some people do not want to use chemicals to kill ants. Besides baby powder, you can also try diatomaceous earth or silicon dioxide. Diatomaceous is an irritant, so make sure to use it cautiously. Sprinkle diatomaceous anywhere in the house, especially the nest, to kill them.
You can also try spraying ants with hand soap, liquid detergent and glass cleaner, and white vinegar. Ants hate certain smells, such as lemon eucalyptus oil, peppermint, pepper, and tea tree oil. These fragrant substances mess with their pheromones and distract their communication with the other colonies.
If still need help, we welcome you to give us a call. We offer the best home carpet cleaning services in the town!
Curious to learn do vacuums kill roaches, do exterminators really get rid of roaches or how to get rid of house centipedes too?
Dr Philip G Cox currently is a professor in Physiology in the Centre for Anatomical and Human Sciences which is part of the Hull York Medical School and the Department of Archaeology at the University of York. Dr Philip G Cox studied comparative mammalian functional morphology for the PhD in the University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge.