Ants in the Air Conditioner: How to Keep Ants Out of the Outside Air Conditioning Unit
Banish Those Little Creepy Crawlies!
In light of that, just how do you get rid of those unwelcome guests? First and foremost, as Ben Franklin says, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." It's easier to prevent ants than it is to get rid of them, so here are a few tricks to try.
WARNING: Before working on your air conditioning unit, SHUT OFF THE POWER!
Ants in the Air Conditioner-Prevention: Make it a habit to check your air conditioner's outdoor unit regularly, inspecting it for debris. Remove all debris immediately, so there's nothing near or in the unit that might prove enticing to ants, including dead insects that the ants might feel would make a good supper. If the ants have nests far enough from the air conditioner so that water won't create an electrical problem, one environmentally friendly method you can try is to pour boiling water down the ant hills.
Okay, so that's not very environmentally friendly to the ants, but the object here is to get rid of them, right?
You can also try putting chili powder, cinnamon, pepper, talcum powder, or diatomaceous earth around the outside edge of the air conditioning unit to discourage ants from moving in. However, ants are persistent and leave pheromone trails to guide other ants from the colony to food sources or nesting sites. It's been my experience that most of the environmentally friendly solutions slow down the ants but don't actually stop the problem. Still, the eco-friendly methods are always worth a try before bringing in the big guns ... insecticides.
Ants in the Air Conditioner-Eradication: DOUBLE CHECK TO MAKE SURE YOU'VE SHUT OFF THE POWER TO THE UNIT! Remove the exterior housing to the unit, and use a commercial ant spray to kill the ants. Then clean out all dead insects and debris. Next you'll need to eliminate any pheromone trails, as well. Remove the motor and fan, and cover them, along with any exposed wires, with a garbage bag or other plastic. Then, being careful not to get the covered parts wet, use warm soapy water or an ammonia-water solution to wash down the air conditioning unit. Rinse well, once again being very careful not to get water in the motor, fan, or electrical wires. Blot excess water using an old rag, and allow the AC to dry completely before reassembling. While the unit is drying, use the ant spray on any hills or colonies you see in the yard.
Ants in the Air Conditioner-Alternate Solution: Although it's less expensive to try and eradicate ants yourself, it can be very difficult to accomplish. In some cases, the only way you'll keep them at bay is to call in an exterminator, and have your yard/house treated on a regular basis.
Sources:
BugSpray.com http://www.bugspray.com/article/ants.html
DoItYourself.com http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-keep-ants-out-of-your-air-conditioner-unit
DoItYourself.com http://www.doityourself.com/stry/antinfested#ixzz0kviaV2VQ
Safe2Use.com http://www.safe2use.com/pests/fireants/fireants1.htm
Published by Cindy Lynn - Featured Contributor in Lifestyle
A freelance author with numerous published stories/online articles, Cindy loves food, and enjoys collecting and trying new recipes. She also enjoys gardening--both vegetables and flowers (she completed cours... View profile
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7 Comments
Post a CommentThanks for this information. I hadn't thought about the AC unit! But, every year in the spring they come into my kitchen. Sometimes I can see them walking up and down a tree right in front of my kitchen window! I don't want to use poison, especially in the house because (1) I don't use poison; and (2) I have a cat. I like your chili powder, pepper, cinnamon and talcum suggestions.
Great job!
This will help many people...Thank you!!
Kathy: Good luck on your ant problem. Hope the DE works so you don't have to call in the "big guns!" Carpenter ants are particularly tough to get rid of ... onery little buggers.
We've been experiencing a barrage of carpenter ants and I back traced the trail to the AC unit. We use DE for everything, but I didn't think to use it for ants. I'll be heading out to dust the area and hopefully get rid of these pests. If not, I might have to go for the "big guns." I can't stand ants - YUCK!
Triple Nickel: Oh, you are soooo witty! I always love your comments. Thanks for stopping by.
At my house the ants came marching in one by one and I went running out all alone! Thanks for the great advise!
Thanks, James. Hope you don't ever have the problem, too!