Ants are some of the most common insects that you might have seen. They can be seen scurrying about in rows throughout your house or in your garden.
There are billions of ants on this planet, and if they are allowed to run unchecked, they can easily cause a great deal of damage. Most people don’t realize just how harmful ants can be, especially the different kinds of varieties.
Ants have the ability to cause a great deal of damage over time, especially if you are not careful. You might have seen ants running around in your kitchen, usually over crumbs of leftovers that have dropped down on the floor in your house.
If you do not get rid of the problem quickly and clean things up, the ants are going to multiply before you know it, and within a short while, they are going to spread throughout different parts of the house.
Ants, like all other insects, usually prefer staying in areas that are hard to reach. They like the dark spots because they are able to remain safe there, and this promotes breeding as well.
Needless to say, the last thing that you are going to want is ants in any part of your house. While they might start breeding in the small pockets around your place, ants can also cause extensive damage if they are allowed to breed in your carpet.
Ants usually look for spots where they won’t be disturbed, and if you are not careful, they will quickly make their home in carpet. The thin gaps between the carpet fibers provide ants with the perfect hideaway spot, and it also allows them to multiply as well over the passage of time.
Getting rid of ants in carpet can be incredibly difficult, and you will have to be particularly careful about how to deal with the problem.
First of all, it’s important to understand that getting rid of ants in carpet isn’t going to be easy. You will have to be careful about how to tackle the problem, otherwise they are only going to move from one place to another.
Once ants hide in particular areas, getting them out is going to be quite difficult, especially if they start colonizing. Thankfully, the chances of ants building up a colony in your carpet is going to be exceptionally low.
But, you need to understand that if they start taking refuge in your carpet, it won’t take long before the ants also begin to move to other pieces of furniture. Eventually, your entire house is going to be covered with ants, and you won’t be able to do anything about it.
The first step is to understand exactly why ants might have taken refuge in your carpet. Like all other insects, ants need three things to survive: water, food, and harbor. Carpet generally provide all three, especially if they are not properly cleaned or maintained.
In most cases, you can generally find ant infestations in areas where matters of hygiene and cleanliness are not taken seriously. So, the first thing you need to consider is whether your place is clean or not. Ants and other insects are generally attracted to areas that are not regularly cleaned.
So, it goes without saying that the first thing you need to do is work on improving the overall level of cleanliness and hygiene in your house. Ideally, you should clean the place once a day, with a thorough cleaning required every week.
Also, you need to think about the last time you got the carpet cleaned. It’s recommended that you pay attention to these things, otherwise the situation is only going to go from bad to worse.
Before you can start implementing methods to get rid of ants in carpet, you need to first focus on figuring out exactly why the ants are taking refuge there. There are quite a few reasons why that might be the case.
Breadcrumbs
One of the most common reasons why ants prefer to hide in carpet is because there’s plenty of food available.
If you like eating on carpeted surfaces, it’s really not going to take all that long before ants infest it. The answer for that is quite obvious: they can get plenty of food without much of a problem.
It doesn’t matter how much care you take when it comes to keeping the carpet clean, there are going to be times when certain breadcrumbs are going to fall on the floor.
These minuscule droplets or crumbs might be insignificant for you, but could mean a day’s meal for an ant. For instance, when you take a bite out of a biscuit, there are bound to be some small specks or crumbs that fall on the floor.
You can do your best to prevent this from happening, but it’s virtually impossible. Now, it might not be a problem if it happens once or twice, but if you are a regular eater near the carpet, it won’t be long before ants realize that a consistent supply of food can be found in that area.
Before you know it, the entire area will be infested.
Cleanliness
Another reason why ants might infest your carpet is because of cleanliness. This doesn’t just mean that you keep the carpet clean, it also means that you pay attention to the area around the carpet.
Ants are often considered by many as very efficient travelers; they can easily move from one place to another by latching on to pieces of clothing or virtually anything else.
If you do not keep the area around the carpet clean, it won’t be long before ants find their way there. They tend to hide away in the small gaps and spaces available near the fibers, and this can prove to be a problem.
The best thing you can do is make sure you keep the area surrounding the carpet properly cleaned.
Cleanliness is a big problem for people who have carpet in their house. It’s an established fact that carpet requires a reasonable amount of maintenance, and if you are unable to provide that, it’s going to cause a series of problems, which will ultimately culminate into an infestation.
So, now that you know the main reasons that could lead to an infestation in the carpet, it’s time to tackle them. Getting rid of the ants isn’t going to be an overnight effort; and you will need to pay attention to a series of different things. Here are a few tips to help.
How to Get Rid of Carpet Ants
1 – Dry Cleaning
Most people don’t understand this, but dry cleaning the carpet after every six to eight months is of paramount importance. You need to make sure that you clean the carpet properly on a regular basis, and not just by yourself. Using harmful detergents is a bad idea and could affect the fibers.
There are plenty of companies that offer carpet cleaning services, and you might want to get in touch with a local company that offers thorough cleaning services. If you have an entirely carpeted room that might be difficult to move around in, there are companies that offer on-site services.
You can get in touch with them and they are going to send over a team to your place to clean the carpet there only. These professionals have the right tools and equipment, and also use disinfectants properly to make sure that the carpet are thoroughly cleaned from the inside out.
Dry cleaning isn’t the only option; a thorough wash might be required as well from time to time. A thorough wash involves cleaning the carpet from both sides and making sure that everything inside is removed or killed.
You can get in touch with a local cleaning company, and they will do the job for you. It’s a fantastic choice for people who have decorative rugs in their house or carpet that have been infested.
The aim is to make sure that the carpet are cleaned at least once every six to eight months. It’s a necessary expense, and it’s going to ensure that your floor is kept clean and tidy.
2 – Vacuuming
If you want to get rid of ants from your carpet and make sure that they do not return, you also need to vacuum on a regular basis. A vacuum cleaner is one of the most effective devices that you can use to clean the carpet consistently.
However, you need to make sure that you buy a high-powered vacuum cleaner that’s actually going to work in cleaning the surface. Make sure you buy a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter installed so that all harmful substances and pollutants can be cleaned up.
Vacuuming is a great way to get rid of ants from your carpet as well. They will be able to get rid of all the ants and other insects that start calling your carpet home.
You need to make it a habit and vacuum at least once a day. If you are unable to vacuum once a day, make sure you do it on every alternate day at the very least.
3 – Disinfectants
There are a bunch of different disinfectants available in the market that you can use to clean your carpet as well. If you are going to wash the carpet on your own, you should make sure that you avoid just adding water.
If you put water on the carpet and do not properly dry it up, it could cause serious problems and may lead to an even bigger infestation.
4 – Call an Exterminator
Getting rid of an ant infestation is going to be troublesome, so you might want to consider calling an exterminator. A professional exterminator can help you out with a variety of problems, and getting rid of ants isn’t going to be a problem for them.
When you first call an exterminator, they are going to check the carpet carefully and determine the extent of the infestation. You need to understand that ants aren’t going to infest and colonize your carpet; the colony will be nearby. They are just going to hide in the carpet because they can get access to food readily.
The exterminator is going to first clean the carpet on a thorough basis, and will then use specialized sprays and disinfectants to get rid of the infestation. It might cost you a little bit of money, but it’s a great way to get rid of an ant infestation.
Avoid Eating Over Your Carpeted Areas
Remember, ants are attracted to areas where they are able to get access to a great deal of food. If you starve them out, they are going to leave the carpet on their own.
If you prefer eating over carpeted areas and breadcrumbs are left on the floor, you need to make sure you clean up afterward. This means properly vacuuming right after.
If you notice ants moving in and out of your carpet, you have to make sure that you properly clean up as quickly as possible. The more time you leave it be, the more problems it’s going to cause.
The infestation is only going to spread, and this can eventually cause a serious problem.
These are just a few things that you should know about getting rid of an ant infestation. Make sure you take proactive action to get rid of the infestation and get the problem resolved as quickly as possible.
I have a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When I’m not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies…I’m at home with my wife, two daughters and a dog. Outside of family, I love grilling and barbequing on my Big Green Egg and working on projects around the house.