Ants explore mainly to try and find sources of food. Whenever there's a sudden ant infestation, the most likely cause of it is that there's food somewhere in your house for them. Most ants are opportunistic feeders; they'll eat just about anything. But they usually prefer sweets.
A sudden ant infestation in your kitchen means there is a food source somewhere. The food can be honey, sugar, syrup, meat, fats, breadcrumbs, etc. Once the ants determine these food sources, they form long trails to connect their colonies to the food source.
In most cases, it's the presence of food and water that brings ants inside. This applies in the bedroom just as much as it does in the kitchen. Clean your entire home thoroughly, washing your bedding and any dirty clothes in the room, then vacuuming thoroughly to remove food debris from the carpet.
Straight white vinegar makes a great ant spray. You can saturate ant trails to kill on contact, or spray counters and other areas and either wipe up after a few minutes or allow the treatment to dry in place.
Unfortunately, it's very unlikely that ants will go away on their own. If ants have already established themselves in your home, it's because they find certain conditions favorable. If you've tried cleaning and sealing off food and you're still not seeing an improvement, you might need professional help.
Peppermint is a natural insect repellant. You can plant mint around your home or use the essential oil of peppermint as a natural remedy for control of ants. Ants hate the smell, and your home will smell minty fresh! Plant mint around entryways and the perimeter of your home.
The Ants Are Looking for a Source of Water
Sometimes, ants aren't interested in the food you have in the house, but a reliable source of water, especially during the hot season, when temperatures are extreme. Ants can use a leaking pipe or a faulty faucet to drink water, so make sure your plumbing is ok.
Myth: If ants go to where your urine is, it means you have diabetes. Fact: When blood sugar is above the kidney's threshold, sugar tends to spill in the urine making it “sweet”, but it doesn't mean that you have diabetes if there are ants around your urine. Blood tests are necessary to confirm if you have diabetes.
One of the most common ways to tell if you have an ant infestation in your wall cavities is by listening for the sound of crawling ants in the affected wall. This sound can be soft scratching and the sound of gnawing as they eat away on the wood inside your wall.
You can eliminate the pheromone scent that forms ant trails by spraying a mixture of water and vinegar onto it. Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle, spray down the ant trail and wipe up with a paper towel. The scent of vinegar also acts as an ant deterrent, but will only last for four to 48 hours.
Sawdust Trails
Check for piles of sawdust near wooden beams, window ledges, skirting boards, and wood flooring. This is a telltale sign that you have an ant-type present that likes to burrow into wood, meaning you definitely need to call an expert.
You can identify a Crazy Ant by its erratic and "crazy" movement when disturbed. These ants seem to run aimlessly around. Another distinguishing feature is that their legs and antennae are longer in proportion to their bodies, compared to other types of ants.
When blood-sugar levels remain high for too long, many body parts become damaged, including the kidneys. Kidneys regulate glucose in the urine. When they are not working properly, urine may contain large amounts of glucose, which can be attractive to ants.
Ants are attracted to any type of food source, so if your kitchen tops are dirty or there's ready available fruit, sweets or crumbs – they will find their way to it. Ant colonies can consist of thousands or millions of tiny ants, which is why they seem to be everywhere, once you've found your first ant.
Transparent and lacking in color
Transparent, colorless urine could also be a sign of some other health disorders, including diabetes and kidney disease, or from taking diuretic medication.
If piles of dirty laundry include any moisture, perfumes, or food stains, they can become overrun with ants looking to set up shop. Infant and baby clothing, in particular, can attract ants because of the smells of many infant detergents and the number of food particles on these clothes.
When you see an ant or two in your home or office, it's not usually something that raises an internal alarm. Ants are small and can make their way inside, so most people think it's not a big deal – but seeing just one ant can indicate that you are on your way to having a full-blown ant infestation.
Try pouring a line of cream of tartar, red chili powder, paprika, or dried peppermint at the place where you think ants might be entering the house; they won't cross it.
Always remember that Vinegar is not a permanent solution to remove an ant infestation. It is reasonable to spread the solution thrice a week over the affected areas to remove ants slowly.
Windex, the glass cleaner, is a known insect killer. When you have an ant swarm in your house, spray them all with Windex and they will die nearly instantly. Windex can also eliminate some of the scent trails that ants follow to find food.