Summer is almost here, which means it’s nearly time for cookouts, swimming pools, and family vacation. Summer is mostly a time for having fun and enjoying the great weather, but it can also bring a few inconveniences too.
One is the arrival of ants. Much like bears, ants hibernate most of the winter. They then reappear when the weather turns warm and set out on an aggressive hunt for food, wherever they can find it. That pursuit often leads them to residential kitchens, where they can find crumbs and other food parcels.
Once an ant colony targets your kitchen, it’s a challenge to get them out. There are plenty of DIY solutions available, but none are guaranteed to be effective. The most effective tactic is often to keep ants from entering your home in the first place. Below are three tips on how you can do just that:
Seal off potential entrances.
Ants can find their way into your home through even the tiniest of openings. All it takes is a crack in your siding or a small gap in your window frames for ants to get inside. Perform a careful inspection of your home and identify any potential openings. Then take steps to seal those openings off.
For instance, you may use a sealant or caulk to fill in any holes. You may need to have windows or siding repaired or even replaced. Weather stripping can also help you fill in any openings.
Remove food sources.
There is one, and only one, reason why ants want to come into your home – food. Ants don’t invade your home all at once. Rather, they send in one or two scout ants to see if there is any food available. The scout then reports back to the colony. If there is food, the rest of the ants will invade the space to gather as much food as possible.
You can prevent an infestation by eliminating any possible food. Keep your counters free of crumbs and liquids. Sweep and mop your floors regularly. Take time to get in your food cabinets and clean out any crumbs or other debris.
Also, store your food in airtight containers. Ants can get in a small gap in a box or even a tiny hole in a bag. Remember, it only takes one ant to find food for a colony to infest your house.
Hire a professional to create an ant barrier.
The most effective protection method may be to enlist the help of a professional. A knowledgeable and experienced pest control company can put your home on a protection program. That usually involves regularly treating your home with preventative methods that create a barrier for not only ants, but also crickets, wasps, yellowjackets, and more.
A professional protection program keeps bugs away from your home so you don’t have to worry about small cracks in your siding or gaps in your doors or windows. You can rest assured that your home is protected against infestations from ants or any other insects.
Ready to protect your home against ants? Contact us today. Scherzinger Termite and Pest Control is a trusted pest control company in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas, including Dayton, OH, and now Columbus, OH. We’ve been pioneers, engineering new standards for ways of eliminating and controlling bugs and pests. Contact us by phone at 1-877-748-9888 or through our website, Facebook, or Twitter.