Reasons Ants Invade Your Home And Treatments That Get Rid Of The Pests
Ants are a common household nuisance, but you don't have to put up with the annoying pests. It might require professional pest control treatments, but through a combination of treatments and making changes to stop attracting ants, you can put an end to the sight of ants marching through your kitchen. Here are some reasons you might be attracting ants, the changes you can make, and the type of pest control treatments your property might need.
Reasons Ants Are Attracted To Your Home
Ants don't have to live indoors to be a nuisance. If you watch the ant trails, you may find the ants are coming and going from a nest outdoors. They come into your home for food and water. Ants are attracted to a variety of foods, such as sweets, fat, and protein. That's why ants usually invade your kitchen where crumbs or grease stains make a good meal for them.
Ants are also attracted to dampness. If there is a leak under your kitchen sink or a drip under your refrigerator, ants might be attracted to the area, especially if the wood is kept damp. Damp wood can even attract destructive carpenter ants that start living in your house and are worse than the average ant that wanders in from the outdoors.
Ways To Keep From Attracting Ants
Keep your kitchen as dry as possible so dampness and moisture don't draw ants and other bugs. Repair a drip under the sink, and if there is water damage in your kitchen, have it repaired.
Do what it takes to control food odors that attract ants. Keep your trash can clean and empty trash daily. Sweep up crumbs and wash the top of the stove to get rid of grease splatters. Also, be careful about leaving pet food on the floor, especially canned food that will attract ants.
Treatments That Eliminate Ants
Pest control treatments for ants include liquid pesticides, bait, and repellents. Your pest control professional might place bait in your house and yard and use liquid on nests. Since ants come in from the outdoors, it will probably be necessary to treat your yard for ants as well as your home.
If you only treat your house, you may never eliminate the problem since the ants will keep coming from the colony. However, it's also a good idea to seal gaps under doors and around windows so ants don't have an easy time getting inside.
You might also consider using repellents in your home, but you'll only want to use them if the pest control company doesn't put out bait. You don't want to repel the ants and keep them away from the bait stations. Some natural repellents might be helpful in controlling ants. Things like vinegar, cinnamon, and mint might be helpful to use around windows to discourage ants from coming inside, but they probably won't help to eliminate a serious ant problem.
Contact a local pest control company to learn more about your options.
