Whether you had experienced an outbreak of ants in your home in the past or not, you likely want to keep these insects from invading your living space in the future. There are steps to take to keep your home free of ants.
Tend to Your Property
Since ants primarily live outdoors, work at minimizing the ant population on your property. If you have a woodpile in your yard, move it to a location far enough away from your home so ants do not wander over to your structure. At the first signs of ant hills on the ground outside of your home, apply an ant pesticide to kill off the colonies living within them. Failing to do this step means ants may eventually make their way toward your home.
Take Care of the Exterior
If your home has any portions where the siding is breaking away from the structure, take the time to replace it so cracks are not present for ants to crawl inside. Use sealant around doors and windows to make it difficult for ants to gain entry to your home as well.
Be on the Lookout for Scouts
Scouting ants have the job of looking for sources of food for the rest of their colonies. If you see a single ant inside of your home, follow it to see where it goes. Its intention is to alert the rest of an ant nest about food availability. Knowing where colonies are located allows for their elimination without delay. Once colonies are discovered, use bait traps in areas scouts were noticed so they bring back poison to their colonies.
Keep the Interior Clean
Ants do not stick around areas that do not have readily available food. If you do not clean your home regularly, ants have access to crumbs that fell on the floor and food preparation remnants on countertops. Do daily cleaning by wiping down counters and vacuuming thoroughly.
Eliminate Ant Trails
When ants walk through your home, they leave behind a scent for other ants to follow so they know where to find food. Make a mixture of half vinegar and half water and place inside a spray bottle. Spray this mixture in any areas where you previously witnessed ants. This mixture can also be used as a preventative measure. Spray it along the perimeters of rooms, in doorways, and along windowsills to keep ants from entering your home.
For more help, contact ant removal companies.
When you come upon an ant in your home, what do you do? Maybe you kill that one ant and then set some traps to catch any others that come with it. Perhaps you spray some insecticides along the baseboards or in other places where ants tend to congregate. Sometimes these measures might take care of the problem, but other times they don't. If ants continue to be an issue, you'll need to call a pest control company. The same goes if you are dealing with roaches, mice, or some other pest. Learn more about pest control and what these companies do as you explore this website.