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Ants are industrious workers that can work together to help sustain a colony. Every time an ant enters your home, it is in search of something to help with that purpose. If it finds it, then it will return with more workers. If it does not find it, then it will not come back. There are steps that you can take to stop ants from coming into your home.
1. Wipe down the Table and Counters after You Eat
Ants come into your home looking for food. The small crumbs that may be left on your table or counters after preparing food are attractive to ants. If they find a food that they like, a line of ants will quickly form as they carry the food back to their colony.
2. Keep Food Stored in Air Tight Containers
The smell of food can also attract ants. Ants will take advantage of the smallest cracks in any containers. If you want to prevent ants and protect your food, be sure to store any food in airtight containers. Ants. Love to find open sugar bags or sweets. If you put your items into the containers, they will not be attracted to it and they will not be able to get into your food.
3. Do Not Leave Dirty Dishes in the Sink
Dirty dishes in the sink provide two things that ants want. Ants are always looking for an easy source of food and water. Soaking dirty dishes in the sink gives the ants easy access to both. Try to do your dishes immediately after each meal. Even rinsing them out and loading your dishwasher throughout the day will help with this issue.
4. Sweep the Floor Daily
Be sure to sweep the floor each day. It is surprising how quickly the crumbs can accumulate in areas where you prepare and eat food. When you sweep, you will gather up the crumbs and stop it from being an issue. You may also want to clean up any sticky spots with a mop or a damp towel.
5. Take the Trash out Daily
Pests of all kinds are attracted to trash cans that offer plenty of easy options of food to eat. Buying a kitchen trashcan with a lid that closes tightly can help, but the most important step is to take the trash out each night. This can help eliminate the smells that may send the insects into your home searching for the home too.
6. Fix Any Leaky Pipes
Ants need a steady source of water. If they find one, they will keep coming back to get it. This can be anything from a dripping faucet to a leak underneath the sink or in the walls. Be sure to check your pipes for any leaks that you may have and repair them right away. You will also need to repair the damage caused by the leaks, since the weakened wood may be attractive to other insects.
7. Seal Cracks around the Doors and Windows
Ants can fit through the smallest of cracks. If you are having issues, you may need to caulk the areas around your windows and doors. You can also apply weather stripping to your door to make sure it seals tightly. This helps with both drafts and keeps the insects out.
8. Find Entrance Points
Follow the ant trails to determine where they are coming into your home. They may not be using a door or window. Ants may crawl up between your wall and baseboards, you can spackle along the tops of your baseboards to stop entrance points that may not be at your doors and windows. You may also want to check your crawlspace to see if there are any colonies that have set up shop in that space. If you find some, you may need to treat your crawlspace.
9. Create a Chalk Barrier
Creating a chalk barrier in front of doors can naturally stop ants since they will not cross it. It needs to be powdered chalk. This will cause the ants to dry out, and is a natural way to stop ants from coming into your home.
10. Spray for Ants
The best way to stop ants is to treat for them. You can do this by treating around the exterior of your home. The spray can create a barrier that will stop ants from entering your home. An exterminator can determine the correct treatments and whether or not bait stations or other treatments are needed to address the situation, especially if you find ants in your crawlspace.
Bio: Miriam Caldwell graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English. She has been working as a freelance writer since 2005 and has written on a wide variety of topics ranging from personal finances, home care, parenting, WordPress, gardening to mosquito control. She also teaches writing and enjoys helping others learn something new.
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