There are numerous ant species that can become pests. For the most part, it’s not necessary to know the specific species of ant you’re facing in order to effectively treat them. The exception to this is fire ants and carpenter ants, which we will address within a separate article.

First, know that ants are willing to travel surprising distances for food and water. The ants you see in your home probably have their nests outside. There are plenty of exceptions to this, but it’s a good general rule of thumb. Also, when you’re battling ants, keep in mind you have to destroy the colony, not just the ants that you see foraging. If all you kill are foragers, the colony will produce more foragers and keep sending more.

When dealing with an ant problem, our first step is prevention. Even if you have a troublesome ant problem already, you should be following the preventive measures. Preventive measures alone will go a long way to reducing the ant population you see, and it will make those efforts you take to deal with an ant problem much more effective. If you haven’t read our preventive articles, do that now, then return to this article. Those preventive articles detail the importance of keeping your house clean and preventive measures you can take to limit successful foraging.

In your home, ants are looking primarily for food and water. If you were able to kill every ant you saw enter your home, they’d still keep coming, because it nest itself is your target, not the individual foragers. Preventive steps are aimed at limiting foragers from identifying your home as a prime source of food and water then relaying that information to their nest. Once you’re seeing large numbers of ants inside, it’s too late – the nest is well aware of your home.

Once the nest knows how to enter your home and wherein it to find food, it may seem counter-intuitive, but killing those foragers can sometimes be counterproductive. You need to destroy the nest to stop the problem. Unfortunately, you don’t know where the nest is, but those foraging ants do. That’s why effective chemical control of ants always emphasizes bait over contact poison. You don’t want to kill the foragers immediately. You want the foragers to take the poison down into their nest for you before they die.

For bait to be most effective, it needs to be placed close to the nest or along a well-traveled ant trail. Other known sources of food have to be eliminated to make the bait their primary source of food. So, in practical step-by-step terms, what does that mean….

Bait Along a Well-Traveled Ant Trail

Steps to dealing with an ant problem:

(Skip this step if you don’t have a well-traveled ant trail in your home) Place bait on the ant trail itself as close to the beginning of the trail as you can find.
Get your house clean. As part of this step, consider your house plants. Plants that are over-watered can provide water for ants. Plants that have aphids can provide a preferred food source for ants.
Seal any obvious entryways for ants (e.g., cracks, gaps under doors or windows, etc.)
Trim trees and bushes so they’re making no direct contact to your home
Place a repellent barrier around your home
Bait your yard.

There are plenty of effective commercial available ant baits. Most will use a small amount of poison, like boric acid, as an active ingredient with something like sugar water to make it attractive to the ants. Different species of ants prefer different foods, and those food preferences can change with seasons. So some experimentation with the type of bait may be required (e.g., sweet, fats, proteins).

This post was brought to you by Jenkins Pest and Lawn Services in San Antonio Texas

Car Insurance

If you are like most people who spend more on car insurance premiums than what is really necessary, you need to take heed. Surveys conducted reported that a lot of drivers today are paying for car insurance excessively, at an estimated $3 billion more or less.

To help you minimize the cost of your insurance premiums and save your money for more important expenses, here are some tips to guide you:

Determine the best coverage there is for you.

There are actually four essential categories of Car Insurance available. All of these are not applicable to you so you should ascertain beforehand what is the best coverage that would suit your requirements, to help you save money.

Mandatory – This is the kind of insurance that is mandated by law. The law requires him to pay for the insurance that will cover the expenses if your car gets involved in an accident or road mishap that may cause injury or death to other people.

Third-Party Property Insurance – Policy that covers the cost of damage or repair that your vehicle may cause other people’s property.

Third-Party, Fire & Theft Insurance – This is basically the same with the Third Party Property Insurance with the additional coverage for damage to your car by theft, loss or fire.

Comprehensive Insurance – This covers a wide-ranging policy that covers everything that the other three cover and more. However, it is by far the most expensive kind of insurance.

Determine what car you want to buy and the effect your choice on the insurance coverage you will need to take.

Consider the impact your choice of car has on the insurance you need. The more flashy and fast the car you buy is, the more likely it will require higher insurance premiums.

Thus, if you just need a car to drive you to work and back, a more sensible car would be ideal since insurance premiums on it would be likely lower.

Always drive safely

Of course, no driver who was ever involved in an accident would ever admit that he was not driving safely when the incident happened. When you drive safely, you will not only safeguard your life and the lives of others but would also save money. More information about car insurance on this website

If you maintain a safe driving record and have not made any claims, you will likely pay lower insurance rates.

Gender and Age Matters

You may not know this, but these factors affect how much you will be paying for your car insurance. A female driver who is over the age of 40 is likely to pay lower premiums than a male driver under the age of 25.

Let’s just say that a female of such age would not likely make any rush decisions when driving and in fact is expected to drive with utmost care compared to young male drivers who tend to be the exact opposite.

Neighborhood and car parks

There are other factors that affect your car insurance such as the kind of neighborhood that you live in and where you usually park your car. If you live in a high-crime area or and area where there are a lot of car thefts, you can be sure to pay for higher insurance premiums.

Look around before you buy

There are many car insurance companies offering a variety of coverage at different price ranges. Shopping around for the one that will suit your needs without making a dent in your pocket will save you money. Since you already know what kind of coverage is perfect for you, this will be easier to accomplish.

Try to request at least three insurance quotes from different companies. You can easily accomplish this through the internet. Nonetheless, do not overlook your local insurance provider since they may give you better customer service and a lower rate.

Be an informed insurance buyer

This means that you have to know what is you are paying for. You should learn the distinction between the premiums you are paying. The premium is the monthly amount you pay to maintain your insurance.

You have to bear in mind that paying lower premiums usually means you have a higher deductible.

Knowing what you are buying is one of the best ways to save money. Car Insurance is absolutely necessary as covered by the law. However, you don’t have to suffer paying more than is necessary.

You should be pro-active in purchasing insurance. Read everything in the policy, including the fine print. Don’t be satisfied with getting a quote from just one or two insurance companies. Remember, insurance is rated differently by different companies.

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Orthodontics can boost a person’s self-image as the teeth, jaws and lips become properly aligned, but an attractive smile is just one of the benefits. Alleviating or preventing physical health problems is just as important. Without treatment, orthodontic problems may lead to tooth decay, gum disease, bone destruction and chewing, and digestive difficulties. A “bad bite” can contribute to headaches, speech impairment, tooth loss, chipped teeth, and other dental injuries.

When Should Orthodontic Treatment Begin?

Early intervention can prevent the need for future treatment or at least reduce the complexity and cost of future treatment, reduce the need for extractions and gain a better overall result. Orthodontics can also be successful for ADULTS. The biological process involved in tooth movement is the same in both adults and children.

What About Cost?

This will vary, of course, depending on the nature of the problem. Many orthodontic problems require only limited treatment. You may be surprised to discover that orthodontics is less expensive than you thought! In fact, interceptive orthodontics which can correct severe discrepancies, guide growth, reposition teeth, and re-shape bone can cost as little as $1800 to $2600. From a simple exam, we can give you the total cost of your treatment. We offer payment plans to help meet individual financial needs.

We understand that people lead busy lives. We also have many patients that have to drive a long distance to get to us. We use comfortable self ligating braces that require fewer appointments and cut treatment time.

We have been providing orthodontic services since 1995.

The focus of the “Craniofacial and Masticatory Systems” is the diagnosis and treatment of both dental occlusion
and craniofacial bone structures. That said, we treat orthodontics and facial esthetics as a whole. Very few patients realize that both facial and dental esthetics can be treated at the same time.