Ants are a common pest that everyone deals with at some point or another. Moisture and food can attract these insects to your carpet. One of the simplest methods to deal with the ants is to vacuum them up.
You can vacuum ants out of the carpet daily and often to ensure that you remove all ants. Plus, they won’t return this way. A stronger vacuum cleaner is better for dealing with bugs since it can reach further into the carpet. Make sure you get all the food crumbs out of the rug as well.
Overall, vacuuming every day should be a part of your routine when dealing with ants. During the day, food can easily make its way into the carpet, and the sooner you deal with it during an infestation, the better. I included everything you want to know about vacuuming ants in this article.
Should You Vacuum Ants Out of Carpet?
You should vacuum often to get ants out of your carpet. It’s an easy method and ensures that the insects won’t stay hidden for long. Make sure you clean daily and empty the vacuum as soon as possible. That way, surviving ants won’t make their way back out.
You’ll want to empty the vacuum debris into a plastic bag, tie it off, and take it outside right away. If you leave it alone, the ants can escape and find their way into the carpet again.
Plus, by vacuuming daily, you ensure you remove all the stragglers.
Daily cleaning is also necessary to ensure that you remove all attractants from the carpet. The ants will come when there are food crumbs or moisture in your rug. An excellent daily cleaning ensures there’s nothing left to bring back the ants once you’ve already dealt with them.
Vacuuming doesn’t kill ants effectively since they’re so tiny. The easiest way to handle ants is to add some diatomaceous earth and sprinkle it in the garbage bag you’re throwing out. Never add the powder directly to the vacuum as it can damage it.
If you’re looking for an online brand to try, I recommend Harris Diatomaceous Earth Crawling Insect Killer from Amazon. This four-pound bag should come with more than enough to deal with your ant problem. Plus, it’s long-lasting, practical, comes with a powder duster, and comes with a satisfaction guarantee.
Deep Clean Your Carpet for Ants
You’ll want to deep clean your carpet before vacuuming daily.
This process effectively kills ants and draws them away. After that is when you’ll want to start vacuuming daily for the coming weeks, it’s a quick and straightforward process, and you probably already have a lot of the components at home.
Start by renting or borrowing a steam cleaner. The hot water kills the ants, even if they’re deep in your carpet. You’ll want to let the rug dry completely because if you bring it back in when it’s damp, it could quickly worsen your ant problem.
If you can’t put the carpet outside, you’ll want to open the windows and point a few fans at it to help it dry quickly. Next, you’ll want to spray a mixture of one cup of water and half a cup of white vinegar on the carpet.
This mixture won’t stain your carpet but it can kill ants. The scent of white vinegar even repels ants, making it worth using at home! Don’t spray your carpet until it’s fully dry after the deep cleaning. Then, wait until the next day to vacuum.
Make sure to reapply the vinegar solution each day after you vacuum.
Effective Ways to Kill Ants in Carpet
It’s also essential that you understand how to kill ants that hide in the carpet. While vacuuming is very effective, it’s much easier to vacuum up a dead ant than an alive one. These materials also work very well at killing ants. Take a look.
Borax and Baking Soda
Borax and baking soda are very effective at killing ants. However, they do take longer than diatomaceous earth to work. It can often take two or three days to kill the ants using these types of powders because the ants need to ingest it and bring the powder back to their colony first.
Start by scooping out some borax or baking soda, then sprinkle a light layer of it across the carpet. You will need to wait about three days before vacuuming the carpet, so you don’t want to do this if you have any pets or young children at home.
Ant Baits
Ant baits are another great option, although you’ll need to know what species of ant you’re dealing with first. Different species go for different types of baits.
Ant baits kill the entire colony, making them the most effective method. However, they also take days to work. Many brands that make the baits recommend leaving them out for a month, then placing down a new bait. That way, you know they’re all gone!
If you have ants in the carpet, you’ll want to leave the bait along the walls or in other areas where you see the insects traveling. Make sure your pets can’t get to it. Cats are especially attracted to carpenter ant bait due to the meaty scent.
Overall, combining ant baits with a daily vacuuming routine is the most effective way for you to deal with ants. The baits kill the colony at the source, so the insects don’t return, while vacuuming removes the ones already inside the home.
Don’t Use Ant Spray
Finally, you may want to use ant sprays on the carpet, but this is a bad idea. The sprays stay on your carpet for a very long time and are dangerous to pets and kids.
Plus, they can stain the carpet.
You probably shouldn’t ever use liquid ant sprays or insecticides on your carpet. Not only can this ruin it, but the fumes they emit can also irritate you for long periods. I recommend that you use powder when dealing with ants, as you can always vacuum it up when you’re finished with it.
See also: Can You Sleep in the Room After Spraying Raid?
Can Ants Nest in Carpets?
Ants can nest in carpets, which is why you need to take care of these pests right away. However, there needs to be moisture present for them to do so. Ants love rotting wood and can make their home there in the cracks and grooves.
Ants also love humidity. It’s probably a good idea to place a dehumidifier in areas where you suspect an ant nest formed. Vacuuming is a great way to ensure all ants come out of your carpet.
By vacuuming daily, you’re sure to get all of them! It can be a hassle, but it’s very worthwhile to make your home ant-free.
Just because you see a lot of ants doesn’t mean they made a nest in your home. Although, it never hurts to check. Ants can move in pretty quickly, which is why I recommend placing plenty of baits around the house.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, you can vacuum ants out of your carpet, as it’s a simple, natural, and effective way to keep these insects out of your home. The vacuum removes food that attracts the ants and even sucks up any stragglers.
Just make sure you take out the debris right after vacuuming!
Ants can appear in any home. However, they’re an easy pest to deal with. Ants hate white vinegar, and you can use plenty of other methods to deal with them.