We all know there are worse things in the world than an ant infestation. But, it can be easy to lose perspective when you’re standing in your kitchen and spot a trail of hungry ants marching straight toward the snack cabinet. Ants are a difficult pest to control because they’re so small and stealthy that you never quite know how they’re accessing your home or where you’ll find them next. It’s not like they follow you in through the back door. Instead, they more likely make their way in through invisible cracks and crevices in the exterior of your house.
Summer rains are coming and will drive the ants out of the ground, looking for shelter. In fact, this spring has already proven to be quite rainy, and you may already be experiencing an inconvenient ant problem. Most of the ants that end up foraging for their dinner on your kitchen counters are not the type that inflicts painful bites, but they are gross and unwanted visitors. Here are some simple yet critical tips for keeping ants out of your home this year.
Keep Food Sources Hidden
Ants are known for their incredible strength, but did you know that they’re also excellent smellers? Yes, you heard that right. While they don’t see very well, ants have a finely attuned sense of smell. That explains why they can smell the plate of baked goods on your table from a mile away. A great way to disincentivize ants from coming into your home is to remove, cover, or contain the food they’re looking for. Store your food in air-tight containers or the refrigerator whenever possible. This goes for pet food as well. Ants love to snack on the food you leave sitting out for your pets. When possible, raise your pet’s food off the ground to make it harder for ants to access. We’ll be yelling this from the rooftops for as long as we’re in this business: prevention is the best pest control on the market!
Remove Their Access To Your Home Where Possible
This isn’t always as easy as it sounds, but it’s worth it to determine where the pests are coming from. If you don’t know where the ants are coming from, keeping them out of your house will be impossible. Do some sleuthing around your property to determine how the ants are gaining access to your home. Start in the area where the infestation is occurring. If you have a problem with ants in your kitchen, investigate the walls, and foundation on the outside of your kitchen. If you’re lucky, you may even see a trail of ants leading right into your home. This will give you an idea of where you can seal up gaps in siding or cracks in brick with caulk or other substances.
Invest In Regular Pest Control
The ideas presented above are sound and can be very helpful in getting control over your ant problem, but the best pest control method will always be hiring a professional. When you hire a professional pest control company, you’re buying consistent service and peace of mind. You’re delegating an undesirable task so you can remove that check-box from your to-do list. You can go on, enjoying your home and your life, knowing that somewhere a pest control professional is thinking about how to keep your home pest-free. Plus, you know they’re using the best and safest treatments on the market.
Regular pest control is your home’s version of your routine checkups with your doctor or dentist. The goal is to get your home to a healthy place so that all were doing is helping you maintain your ideal home environment. Of course, we’ll always show up for emergencies, but with regular maintenance, you’ll find those become fewer and farther between. Call our office today to learn more and to schedule a free estimate.