Getting rid of ants can be frustratingly difficult. Many homeowners will find ants in their homes throughout the year, sometimes multiple times per year. Ants typically live outside but come inside for food and water as needed.
There is no silver bullet for ant removal. Most homeowners must take preventative action and work with a pest control professional to fix their problem. If you’re having an ant issue in your home, taking the following steps can help. Just remember that working with a pest control professional is the best way to keep your home free of pests, including ants.
Find Out What’s Attracting Them
Some ants are attracted by water, others want sugar, protein, fats, or oils. Once you know why they’re coming into your home, you can prevent them from accessing the source of their attraction. Follow the ants to find out where they’re going. Once you’ve discovered what they’re eating or drinking, you can lay bait in the area where they are spending the most time. Once they’re gone, you can clean up the food or liquid that they came into your home to access.
Keep Your House Clean
Keeping your house clean is a way to prevent ants from entering your home. Ants can find what they’re looking for in a variety of places, including the garbage, your kitchen’s countertops, the floor, or even that secret stash of candy you keep in your closet.
- Vacuum, sweep, and dust your home regularly.
- Clean your kitchen countertops nightly.
- Clean your sink on a regular basis.
- Take out the trash every night. Keep the trash away from your house, in a can with a lid. Keep the bag sealed.
Take note of any spots where ants frequently seem to be found in your home. This could their point of entry into your house, or it could mean there is something in that part of your house that is attracting them to that spot. These clues will help you solve your ant problem the next time you have an infestation.
Repair Any Leaks
Plumbing leaks can create a source of water for ants, especially during a long, dry summer. Leaks also contribute to wood rot in the home, which can leave your home’s structure vulnerable to carpenter ants. Repair leaks as soon as they become a problem.
Not sure if your home has a plumbing leak? Check your water meter. Take a reading, then wait for half an hour. Don’t run any appliances that use water during that time, and don’t use any plumbing fixtures. If your water meter reading changes, this means that your home has a plumbing leak. Work with a professional plumber to identify the leak and have it repaired.
Seek and Destroy Nests
Most of the time, ant colonies are found outside. Look for evidence of ants on your property, including ant hills in your yard and trails of ants along your sidewalk or walking up the foundation of your house. If you find a nest, destroy it by either pouring boiling water on the hill, spraying the nest with pesticide, or placing bait in your yard near the nest.
Carpenter ants make nests inside the walls of your home, so most of the time, homeowners do not see these nests. Carpenter ants favor parts of the house that have been damaged by water, so if you’ve had a leak in your home and have noticed carpenter ants nearby, tell your pest control professional.
Your pest control professional can find the points of entry for the carpenter ants, and spray the area with an ant poison that will help destroy the nest. Carpenter ants break down wood and will do structural damage to your home, so it’s important to have this problem addressed by a professional as soon as possible.
Create an Ant Barrier
There are many commercially available sprays that can help deter ants from your home. There are also some home remedies that can kill ants and keep them away. If you’ve had a problem with ants entering your home, spray the perimeter of your house with one of these products to keep ants away. It’s always best to work with a professional when spraying your home, to ensure the work is done safely.
Work With a Pest Control Professional to Effectively Get Rid of Ants
The best way to get rid of ants around your house is to work with a pest control professional. Your pest control professional will give you suggestions to help keep ants off your property, lay down bait to kill the ants in your home, and help you keep ants out of your house after they’ve been eliminated. For more information on effective ant removal and eco-friendly pest control services, contact EcoTek today.
