Vacuuming Ants: Is there a Way to Vacuum Ants?

The first concern that many homeowners have is whether vacuuming up ants will kill them. Frankly, it depends.

In general, most ants will survive being sucked into the dust canister. This is mainly because they are so tiny and weightless that they can undergo strong winds and falls without taking on any terrible damage to their strong little bodies. Only a few are likely to perish.

So, if you want to induce more fatalities with your vacuum, here are a few helpful suggestions.

One of the best parts about using a vacuum is that it’s a quick remedy, unlike ant traps which take some time to rid the home of the little creatures.

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However, since many of them will survive being sucked away, it won’t do to simply suck them up and put the cleaner away. They are resilient and will likely find a way to escape back into the home. It is, therefore, necessary to immediately dispose of the vacuum bag or clean the canister as soon as you are done. You’ll want to do this a fair distance away from your house.

Bagless vacuum cleaners might be even more ideal than their bagged counterparts since the dust cup can simply be emptied into the outside bin or a trash bag for permanent disposal. You could even wash the ants down the drain while washing the tank. Alternatively, if your only option is to use a disposable bag, it’s a good idea to put diatomite in the bag, close it up, and take it to the outside trash cans.

Jump To

1. Diatomaceous Earth as a Natural Insecticide

2. The Most Effective Vacuum for Ridding Your Home of Insects

3. Dealing with an Ant Infestation

Diatomaceous Earth as a Natural Insecticide

Diatomaceous earth, or D.E., is a natural powder that comes from crushing Diatomite – a soft sedimentary rock. The benefits of this product are that it acts as a natural pest killer, but is far more environmentally friendly and far less likely to catch fire or create unwanted toxins in the air. By placing a small portion of this powder in your vacuum bag or dust tank, any ants to be sucked up will quickly meet their end.

It should also be noted that using a vacuum in areas where you have used an insecticide may damage the vacuum cleaner, not to mention these sprays can be hazardous for some people and animals. D.E. is, therefore, a safer option for both your cleaner and your family.

The Most Effective Vacuum for Ridding Your Home of Insects

If you have a serious six-legged visitor problem at your house, a Shop Vacuum like the Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet Dry Vacuum is an ideal mechanism to deal with this problem. This model can be purchased from most online shopping websites.

Not only is this cleaner very sturdy and made of high-quality components that will last a long time, but it can tackle just about any surface with noticeable efficiency. Despite their increased suction power compared to most generic vacuum cleaners, these vacuums tend to be significantly cheaper than their more traditional home-vacuum counterparts.

The Shop Vacuum is also ideal if you want to rid your house of ants but aren’t interested in killing them. If your concern is merely to relocate the ants, then the Shop Vacuum will suck them up so that they can be transported elsewhere. If you do want to exterminate the ants, placing some D.E. in the dust cup or bag before vacuuming will certainly do the trick, and will do absolutely no harm to the vacuum cleaner itself unlike many toxic bug sprays on the market.

Dealing with an Ant Infestation

No doubt if you’re reading this, it’s because you have a serious ant problem in your home. This is more than just an issue of a couple of problem areas in the home, and you may need to bring in the big guns to solve your problem. Truthfully, a vacuum cleaner may not be the best option. Although it will quickly and efficiently deal with a couple of ants in an area, it would be difficult to defeat an infestation with one.

At the end of the day, to deal with an ant infestation, you will need a powerful insecticide such as Advion Ant Bait Gel Syngenta Ant Baits. Well-liked even by expert exterminators, the Gel can, within a few days, rid your property of the entire ant colony. Therefore, not only will you have peace for a long while, but you can then vacuum the area surrounding the gel to pick up the corpses of the ants, or simply sweep them away with a regular broom, and your problem should be pretty much solved.