“I for one welcome our new insect overlords.”
Rentokil, Ireland’s leading provider of pest control and specialist hygiene services, has released a top 10 that absolutely no county should want to be a part of.
Cross your fingers and hope that you don’t see your county’s name on the list of the most ant-infested counties below…
Dublin is number one, and accounts for nearly a third of all ant infestations in the country. Kerry comes in at a close second with an extremely unhealthy 25%, and Cork finishes up the top three. As of April 2018, the top 10 was as follows:
- Dublin 29%
- Kerry 25%
- Cork 10%
- Kildare 7%
- Galway 5%
- Tipperary 4%
- Wicklow 4%
- Waterford 4%
- Westmeath 3%
- Roscommon 3%
Kerry is particularly high, considering the population is a fraction of Dublin’s. The people of Kerry probably shouldn’t be going full Kent Brockman mode just yet, but Rentokil is advising homeowners and businesses to be vigilant against ants.
Clip via tawnybreeze
Rentokil have also issued a number of tips to reduce the likelihood of an ant invasion.
- Clear up – food and liquid spillages immediately.
- Sweep up – any food crumbs from under your kitchen appliances and units.
- Store your food – in airtight containers wherever possible.
- If you have a pet – clear away any food that isn’t eaten straight away.
- Block off – the entry points for ants by sealing all cracks and crevices around your doors and window frames.
- In the garden – keep your compost enclosed and make sure all rubbish bins have tightly sealed lids, particularly your recycling bins.
The following myths about ways to get rid of ants, meanwhile, have also been busted.
- Boiling Water Gets Rid of Ants – This only provides a temporary solution as the main nest is usually too deep for such a remedy to work effectively.
- Vinegar kills ants – Vinegar doesn’t kill ants. However, it can remove the trace of ant trails to confuse ants about where to go to find the rest of their colony.
- Feeding ants grains will cause them to explode – Ants don’t eat solid food, so while they may carry grains of rice or wheat back to their colony, ants will not explode by eating them.
Dr. Colm Moore, Technical Manager at Rentokil, said: “As the majority of ant species prefer sunny climates, Ireland would traditionally not be a suitable environment for ants. However, the few species found here can be a nuisance once they re-locate in or around your home.
“Garden or Black Garden ants aren’t thought to carry diseases, however, the trouble is they’ve been foraging outside, so you wouldn’t want them marching through your kitchen. The majority of black garden ants come into your home to forage for food, in particular, sweet and sticky substances.’’
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