Ants are tiny, and can squeeze through the smallest cracks to gain access to your home. Sealing off entry points can do a lot to deter them, but the fact is that if they want in, they will probably find a way. Therefore, in order to discourage an ant colony from invading your home, you should focus on reducing the things that attract them in the first place. Take care of these five problems, and ants will at least feel less determined to move in (and more likely to move on down the street).
Your garbage is just too delicious. What is stinky and disgusting to us smells and tastes like a gourmet buffet to ants. Not only is the trash tempting; many of us have quite a mess going on inside, under, and behind our trash bins. Make sure to thoroughly clean out your trash cans on a regular basis, because food items do occasionally spill between the liner and the container itself. Sweep under your trash cans, and wipe down the walls behind them. When you throw out scraps, consider sealing it in smaller baggies.
Your kitchen needs a good deep cleaning. Even if you’re fastidious about washing dishes and mopping regularly, every kitchen needs a good deep clean on occasion. Clean out all cabinets, drawers, and the pantry. Wipe everything down with a good degreaser, including food containers themselves. Pay careful attention to countertops, windowsills, nooks, and crannies that don’t get cleaned as often.
Your snacks are tempting. Ants just can’t resist an open bag of chips. Remember that once opened, food containers from the store are not adequate to repel insects. Use airtight containers to seal up your snacks, and consider placing bay leaves in the pantry to repel ants.
Somewhere in your house, ants are enjoying a plentiful water source. Like people, ants prefer to live near an easy source of water. Check thoroughly for leaking pipes, puddles, and other water supplies, and make the necessary repairs.
Ants have discovered the perfect nesting spot. Carpenter ants love to nest in decaying wood, so look around your home for sources of the perfect home that might attract them. Areas where water collects will contribute to rotting wood, as will yard debris, old stumps, and spots that have sustained water damage in the past.
Pay careful attention to these five factors and take measures to reduce them around your home. But once ants have moved in, it can be difficult to persuade them to move on. Give us a call, and we will help you out with effective, professional pest control services to eradicate the problem.