Ways to Keep Ants Away from Your Home

While ants may seem harmless, they can cause a lot of damage if left unchecked. For instance, carpenter ants can burrow through the wood in your home. They could damage your wooden door frames and other wooden surfaces.

If you're looking for ways to keep ants away from your home, these few tips might help.

Clean Surfaces in Your Home

Ants leave behind pheromones that they use to communicate with each other. That's how they know where to find food and water. By wiping down counters, you remove these pheromone trails that would otherwise lead ants right into your home.

Make sure to clean up spills immediately and take out the trash regularly. In doing so, you can ensure there aren't any leftover crumbs that could attract ants to your home.

If you have pets, be sure to clean up pet food and water bowls. In addition, bird feeders can also attract ants if they're not clean. Make sure to sweep up any spilled birdseed around the feeder. You should take down the feeder when it's not in use so that you can keep ants from invading your home.

You should also clean around your home's external perimeter. Sweep up any leaves or dirt that may have piled up against the walls. Ants will follow these pheromone trails around your home until they find a way in.

Seal Off All Entry Points

Ants are tiny creatures that can fit through small openings. Also, they exist in colonies, so if you spot one, there are likely many more critters hiding around your home.

That's why you should consult an exterminator who can seal off all access points to your home. They can check around your doors and windows for any cracks or gaps and seal them up with caulk. Also, they can check your roofline and eaves for any holes or openings. They then plug these holes up with insulation.

If you don't know where to look, you may be unable to get rid of them. Fortunately, a pest control company can identify the type of ants in your home and identify where they've built their nests. For example, carpenter ants like to nest in moist, rotting wood, while sugar ants prefer areas with sweet foods and moisture.

A pest control technician can also tell if the invasion started from the inside or outside your home. This distinction determines what solutions are available to you. For example, if the infestation is mainly from the outdoors, a pest control specialist may recommend using perimeter treatment methods to stop the ants from entering your home.

If the ants are already inside your house, you may need to get rid of their food source and nesting areas. While there are many different ways to get rid of ants, it's best to consult with an expert who can identify the specific species invading your home. This way, they can choose an extermination strategy that works best.