Spring and Summer time are a welcome change for just about everyone. As the days get longer and warmer, we can do more things outside, and of course, everything turns green again. The only bad thing about this great time of year is that the bugs are back, which means more problems with pest control. One of the more troublesome and annoying common household pests in the south is the ant. In late spring and early summer, these animals start digging their mounds and looking for food. If we’re not careful, they might move into our homes.
Lucky for us, there are many simple and effective ways to keep ants out of your home. Just follow these simple tips, and you’ll have an ant-free home.
Nothing is more annoying than finding a trail of ants marching through your kitchen or bathroom. While ants play an important role outdoors, you certainly don’t want them setting up camp inside your home. The good news is there are many effective ways to stop ants from invading your house and keep them outside where they belong.
Why Do Ants Come Indoors?
Before learning how to prevent ants from entering it helps to understand what attracts them in the first place. Ants come inside homes searching for three things – food water and shelter.
Food
Ants are constantly foraging for anything edible. Sugary foods like jelly or syrup are irresistible to them. Even the tiniest crumbs left on floors or counters can draw ants inside.
Water
Ants need water to survive, especially during hot, dry weather Leaky pipes, pet bowls and standing water from spills can attract them
Shelter
If ants find a food source inside your home, they may decide to stick around and establish a nest. Small cracks in walls, floors and woodwork provide perfect entry points and shelter for ants.
15 Ways to Keep Ants Outside
Here are 15 of the most effective solutions for keeping ants out of your house:
1. Seal Cracks and Crevices
Seal any small openings around windows, doors, pipes and the foundation where ants could sneak inside. Use caulk to fill cracks and crevices.
2. Clean Up Food Messes
Immediately wipe counters, sweep floors and clean dishes to remove crumbs and spills that attract ants.
3. Store Food in Airtight Containers
Keep pantry items, sugar, flour and other dry goods sealed tightly so ants can’t get in.
4. Fix Plumbing Leaks
Repair any leaky pipes or faucets so ants aren’t drawn to water. Keep pet bowls wiped and filled only when pets are drinking.
5. Set Out Ant Baits
Use liquid or gel baits near ant entry points. The bait will be carried back to the nest and eliminate the entire colony.
6. Use Repellents at Entry Points
Place repellents like cucumber peels, cinnamon, coffee grounds or vinegar where you see ants entering to deter them.
7. Apply a Perimeter Treatment Outdoors
Have a pest control professional apply a repellent spray around the exterior foundation. This keeps ants from entering in the first place.
8. Diatomaceous Earth
Sprinkle this powdery natural substance along baseboards, windows and other ant entry points. The sharp particles cut ants’ exoskeletons causing dehydration.
9. Keep Landscaping Trimmed Back
Prune any trees or bushes touching the house. This eliminates a “bridge” ants can use to access your home.
10. Change Outdoor Lighting
Switch outdoor lights to yellow bulbs. Ants are attracted to white and blue wavelengths so this drives them away.
11. Eliminate Nearby Ant Nests
Find and destroy outdoor ant hills using boiling water or ant killer products. This prevents foragers from entering.
12. Add Mint Plants
Grow mint, pennyroyal or tansy plants around your home’s perimeter. Crushed leaves of these plants naturally deter ants.
13. Draw Chalk Lines
Chalk line doorways, window sills and other entry spots. The calcium carbonate in chalk disrupts the ants’ scent trail.
14. Spray Vinegar
Use an equal parts vinegar and water solution to spray ant trails and entry points to break up pheromones.
15. Set Out Dry Grits
Sprinkle dry grits where you see ants. As they eat, it will cause them to dehydrate and die off.
When to Call a Pest Control Professional
For severe ant infestations or if you keep seeing ants return after trying these do-it-yourself solutions, contact a local pest control company. Professionals have commercial-grade repellents and can locate nests on your property for elimination at the source. Investing in professional pest control saves you time, frustration and ensures ants stay out of your house for good.
Tips for Ongoing Ant Prevention
Get into the habit of these simple daily and weekly home care tasks to deter ants in your house:
- Take out the trash regularly so food waste doesn’t accumulate
- Vacuum/mop floors daily focusing on dining areas
- Deep clean the kitchen weekly especially under appliances
- Inspect windows and doors for new cracks and seal as needed
- Store pet food in sealed containers and avoid overfilling water bowls
- Clean up ripe fruit that falls from trees and shrubs outside
When it comes to keeping your house ant-free, an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure. Putting some diligence into cleaning, sealing cracks, and managing food sources will prevent ant trails from ever making their way across your countertops.
Keep Surfaces in and Around Your Home Clean
Food is the one thing that all living things need to survive. But just because you and your family need to eat doesn’t mean you should leave food scraps around the house—ants are looking for these! The best way to keep ants out of your home is to keep it clean and put food in containers that can’t be opened.
- Cleaning up dirty dishes is the last thing we want to do after a big meal, but it has to be done! Ants will be drawn to leftover food and dirty dishes that are left lying around the house, and if they aren’t cleaned up quickly, they can turn into an ant buffet.
- Clean up If you don’t want those scout ants to find food, you need to keep the floors clean in places where food is eaten.
- Clean up common areas: ants are drawn to food, but they are also drawn to sticky or sweet things that get spilled in and around our home. Clean counters, workbenches, and other surfaces with vinegar and water or cleaning products to keep ants from being drawn to spills.
Seal Off Cracks & Entrances to Your Home
After getting rid of food and making it impossible for ants to get to it, you can start keeping them out of your home. Be your own scout and look for places in and around your house where ants might be able to get in. Sealing cracks around doors and windows and the foundation of your home with caulk can keep ants out of many of the most obvious entry points. Keep an eye on these sealants and reapply them as needed because they will wear off over time and in the weather.
If you already have a problem with ants, you should find out where they’re coming from and clean up their trails to keep them from coming back. Putting a vinegar-and-water mix along the ant trail will confuse the ants and make them find a new way to get to their food source.
Ants leave scent trails that other ants can follow. If you find one trail, you’ll certainly find more. When spraying for ant trails, it’s important to keep an eye out for other ant trails that lead to other parts of your home and spray those too.
How to Stop Ants from Coming Inside Your House (4 Easy Steps)
FAQ
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