When it comes to household pests, ants are by far the most common. These small irritants can infiltrate a home without warning and are nearly impossible to eradicate without the assistance of an expert. Ant colonies can contain thousands of individual ants, making it difficult to repel an invasion once it starts. Even a small number of ants can be aggravating when they take up residence in your home.
However, there are certain things you can do about the house to make your home a less appealing site for ants to seek food. The goal is to figure out what draws ants to your property.
What is Attracting Ants into Your Home
When ants are on the lookout for food, nothing is beyond limits. They will scavenge a wide range of food, but sugary items are particularly appealing to them. This is when the home becomes vulnerable, as ants will be attracted to anything from a minor spilled of juice to a slice of cake left on the counter.
It doesn't take a lot of sugar to entice them in. An ant creates a scent trail while foraging that not only helps them return to the nest, but also helps other pests follow the path in the opposite direction. As a result, a single ant in the house can signal the arrival of many others.
Although keeping ants out is exceedingly difficult, basic regular maintenance, such as sealing gaps and crevices in doors and window frames, can help to limit entry possibilities. The easiest method to keep them out is to try to eradicate the factors that initially attracted them.
2 Things Attracting Ants to Your House That Isn’t Food
1. Water from leaking pipes
Ants require readily accessible water sources in order to nest and establish a colony. Ants may come inside your home in quest of water if your neighborhood is experiencing dry seasonal conditions. Fix these leaks, big or tiny, to prevent standing water from forming, and you'll be able to get rid of ants.
2. Safe nesting areas
Ants don't merely create underground nests. They may also create their nests beneath the baseboard or inside the foundation walls of your home. Apply caulk to every crack, gap, and crevice on the exterior of your home to prevent ants from nesting in these areas.
Preventative Measures for Ant Pest Control
Preventative measures are generally the most effective approach to keep ants out of your house. Keeping a clean house, immediately cleaning up any spills, and wiping off food preparation surfaces will all help. Remove any rotten fruit or vegetables, and store sugar-based products like jams and cakes in sealed containers out of reach. You can deter ants by using natural ingredients such as salt, turmeric powder, or paprika sprinkled around known access locations.
However, once the ants are inside, picking them up and releasing them, or killing them on the spot, does not prevent more of them from arriving due to the scent trails that have already been set.
Whatever method you use to get rid of the ants, the area where they were must be carefully cleaned with a strong soap or window cleaner to erase the ant's scent trail.
Household pesticides can be used to treat entry points. However, given the enormous number of ants and the low concentrations of these insecticides, this may only be a temporary solution. A professional pest controller should be hired for major ant pest control activities.
If you're having ant pest control troubles, contact your Local Bug Guy.
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