pest control ants atlanta One complaint that pest control companies get all year long is regarding pest control for ants in the house. Even the cleanest, most well-kept homes in Atlanta have ant problems at some point. Ants are persistent little buggers, constantly expanding their colonies and looking for food sources. And because Georgia experiences so little cold weather, we don’t get large ant die-offs like states to the north of us enjoy.

People dealing with persistent ant issues may become desperate, willing to try just about anything to get rid of these pests. Old wives’ tales, home remedies, DIY – whatever you call it, folks will give it a shot if there’s an ounce of hope in it. Here are three of the most interesting myths about pest control for ants that we’ve heard, as well as the cold, hard truth:

1. Drawing a chalk line across your doorways will keep ants out.

You may have tried this once or twice. Then you probably noticed that the ants tend to turn around and go back from whence they came. Chalk temporarily disrupts the pheromone trails that ants leave behind to guide other ants to a food source. Having chalky feet can also prevent ants from climbing. However, all of these effects are temporary, and the truth is no amount of chalk is toxic to ants. Plus, who wants to keep drawing chalk lines on their floors, anyway?

2. Pouring boiling water into an ant hill will kill the colony.

The ants exposed to the boiling water will indeed perish. If the water ever actually reaches the inner depths of the colony, it will cool off before reaching the queen and her eggs. Therefore, the colony will continue to grow. The ants will steal your kitchen crumbs, even if you do boil several thousand ants near the surface.

3. Dump some grits on an ant mound and you will kill the ants because they are allergic to corn.

Dead wrong. Some ant baits are manufactured using grits. Some people took this to mean that ants can’t eat grits. This is completely…true. Adult ants cannot digest any type of solid food – they carry food bits (like grits) to the larvae, which eat the food and then regurgitate it for the adults to eat. But ant baits simply coat the grits in the insecticide, which is what actually eliminates the ants. Ant larvae love corn and corn products, and ant adults love regurgitated corn. Yum.

If you find yourself at the end of your rope, exhausted from constantly smashing ants and cleaning up their little carcasses, North Fulton Pest Solutions can help. Our pest control technicians use the latest technology to eradicate ant colonies quickly and quietly. To put an end to your frustrating cycle of failed pest control for ants, click this link or call North Fulton Pest Solutions today at 770-475-7419.