The bottle cap method is one of the most popular and cruelty-free for catching and eliminating ants that may lurk in your home.
THE bottle caps they are the perfect size and design for ant traps. Just make a couple of changes, use the right bait and place them in the right spot. Take a look at the steps below and you will see how this can be a safe and effective way to fix ant problems.
The plug method will make ants disappear in your house in no time
Two sets of plugs are required for each trap. You need a larger cap that serves as a shield and protect the bait from the weather. The smaller cap will hold the bait. The first step is to take a 1cm drill bit and drill a hole in the center of both caps. A hammer and nail can also be used.
Next, you should start cutting small notches around the side wall of the cap. There are many prescription bottles that already have notches on them and these will do just fine. If you work with caps without notches, you can make your own by clamping the plugs in a vise and drilling pilot holes around the edges. You can make these as small mousetrap holes along the bottom edge, or drill holes along the top of the walls as well.
In both cases, make sure the holes are big enough to allow the ants to pass and escape with the bait. Make about six equally spaced holes around the larger cork and four or five around the smaller one. The next step is to apply a piece of tape to the underside of the hole of the small cap.
In this way it will prevent the bait from escaping after the trap has been set up and placed. You may also want to consider taking a piece of sand paper and scrubbing off the writing imprinted on the outside of the larger cap. This is a great way to make sure that someone doesn’t accidentally think it’s a regular bottle cap and come into contact with the poisonous bait.
How to proceed with the bait
Take a nail about an inch long and drive it through the hole in the top cap. Make sure the cap is facing down. Reverse the bottom cap and pass the nail through this hole as well. Squeeze the two caps together and you will have a self-contained trap with a piece of nail sticking out. When placing the trap outside, the nail can be used to anchor it to the ground near where the ants travel or have their nest.
If you want a flat end instead of the nail sticking out, simply file it down and add some masking paper. This way you can position the trap and cover the barbed edges that remain from the cut nail. You can then attach the trap to walls, baseboards or any other surface, as long as the tape doesn’t cause damage. You can also simply seal the nail with a piece of tape and let the trap sit loosely on the surface.
All you have to do is apply bait to the smallest cap. Separate the caps, flip and place the smaller one on the surface before carefully adding the bait or poison of your choice. Press the larger cap and nail on top and through the hole until both caps are firmly attached. Now all that remains is to wait for the ants to take the bait. Periodically check the bait level and top up if necessary until the ant problem is resolved.
It couldn’t be easier and this little trick can help you locate it solve ant problems making good use of the objects in the house. Try it yourself and you will see how this can be a very effective and inexpensive way to control persistent ant problems. You can also research some homemade ant poisons that may be less toxic and cheaper than store-bought options. Either way, be sure to have a supply on hand to deal with ant problems during a survival situation where other resources may be in short supply.
