There is no “hurrah” to this little ditty when the ants are marching across your floors and countertops. It seems like overnight, they’ve set up shop in your kitchen! What’s worse: you’re not even exactly sure where they’re coming from. Luckily, ant infestations are usually fairly easy to mitigate, and they’re even easier to prevent (just don’t try any home remedies if you already have them!). Let’s begin with some preventive measures you can take to drastically reduce the possibility of an ant infestation in your home—and how to get rid of ants if you do have them.
Perimeter Treatment
The single most effective way to prevent ants in your home is to have a pest professional, like ScherZinger, treat the exterior perimeter around your home. If you have an existing ant problem, you’ll need to examine and possibly treat the interior as well. Many homeowners simply schedule a seasonal perimeter treatment, such as ScherZinger’s Guardian Program, to keep their homes free of ants and other insect pests.
Vegetation Management
One of the ways ants get into your home is through adjacent vegetation. Keep trees and shrubs neatly pruned so they’re not touching your house—that will help get rid of ants. If you have landscaping that abuts your house, be careful as organic mulches like bark mulch can provide a habitat for ground nesting insects.
Eliminate Attractants
Remember, ants are attracted to food sources, so it’s important to keep all of the surfaces in your home clean, especially kitchen countertops, dining tables and kitchen floor baseboards. In addition to keeping surfaces clean, always store food in airtight containers. Even pet food should be picked up in the evening—leaving dry dog food in a dish continuously will attract ants just like any other food item.
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.
How to Detect an Infestation
Obviously, a visual observation of ants in your home will be the best indicator of a problem. You may also notice a distinctive odor—black or brown odorous ants have a very distinct scent when they are crushed. Most people describe the smell as that of rotting food. Inside your home, you may only see a few ants. Outside—particularly if you find a nest and locate where they are entering your home— you might see a long, single-file line of ants. Either way, if you suspect an ant infestation, your best option is to call a pest professional to get rid of the ants for you. Additionally, arrange for perimeter control on a schedule recommended by your pest professional.
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.
ScherZinger Pest Control, a trusted pest control company in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas, including Dayton and now Columbus. We’ve been pioneers who have engineered 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.
