Try These Ant Control Tips To Keep The Pests Out Of Your Home

Ants are common household pests that can also be destructive. There are several types of ants, and some of them can damage the wood in your home, while others may just destroy your food when they get in your cabinets. Some ants can even bite, so you don't want the pests in your home. Here are some tips for getting rid of ants and keeping them out of your house.

Apply Caulk To Entry Points

Ants play a valuable role in nature, so you don't necessarily want to get rid of them in your yard unless they're fire ants that might sting your kids or pets. Keeping them out of your house is your main goal, and a good way to do that is to block their entry by sealing gaps around your door and windows.

Eliminate Odors That Attract Ants

Sealing your home makes it more difficult for ants to get inside, but since ants are so tiny, they may still find a way in when they are attracted to food. When ants are active, try to eliminate food odors that bring them indoors. Don't leave wet pet food on the floor or sweets out on the kitchen table. You may want to go as far as to keep your food in sealed containers rather than their original boxes and bags. Vacuum crumbs after eating and keep your trash can clean. Another odor that attracts ants is the pheromone trail they leave behind. When you see a line of marching ants, wash the area with soapy water so other ants won't follow their trail.

Keep Your Home Dry

One thing to realize is that not all ants are attracted to human food. Some come inside your home because they are attracted to damp and decaying wood. If your home has a water leak or if your bathroom always has high humidity, ants might be attracted to the moisture. When you have an ant problem, try to identify the type of ants you have so you know what attracts them and how they behave. This can help you and the pest control company get rid of them more easily.

Use Ant Baits

Although ants are annoying and frustrating, especially if they invade your pet's food or get into a pizza you leave on the table too long, avoid the urge to spray chemicals around your house to destroy them. Killing the line of ants in your house won't do anything to stop the problem since a colony of ants could have several thousand members. Instead, try using baits. Ants take the bait back to the nest so the entire colony of ants could be wiped out. Ants are picky eaters sometimes though, so getting them to take the bait may require patience. Just be sure you don't disturb or kill the ants once they find it so they keep coming back for more bait to take to the nest.

Hire An Exterminator

If you have a bad ant problem, or if you have dangerous carpenter or fire ants, then professional help could be needed to get rid of the ants quickly. An exterminator has a larger selection of baits to try and they may soak the nest with pesticide if it can be found. Ants that invade your house often come in from the outside, but some ants build nests indoors and an exterminator can track down the nest and kill the ants. Carpenter ants might live behind walls in damp areas so finding the colony can be a difficult job and it needs to be done quickly to limit the amount of damage the pests do to your home.

Ants are notorious for ruining picnics, but they can be very bothersome inside your house too when they find a way to get inside. Getting rid of them can be difficult since ants react to baits and sprays differently depending on the species. Enlisting the help of an exterminator, such as from Be There Pest Control, could be the best way to get an ant problem under control.


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