Ants may be small, but their vast numbers and resourcefulness can turn them into a major nuisance in your home. Whether you’ve spotted a lone scout or a full-on invasion, this guide will provide practical advice and insights on how to keep these pesky insects out of your pantry and your home.
Understanding Ant Behavior: Why Are They in Your Home?
Ants’ Basic Needs: Food, Water, and Shelter
Your kitchen, with its crumbs, drips and spills, can seem like an open invitation for ants to invite their entire family over for a feast. If they find everything they need, why would they leave? Pantry ants thrive in food stocks with easy access to unsealed snacks.
What Attracts Ants?
Understanding what draws ants to your home can be the first step in effectively dealing with them. Items that ants find particularly attractive include:
- Open food containers
- Sweet substances
- Crumbs and spills
- Open garbage bins
- Moisture in bathrooms or other damp areas
- Leaky pipes
Unfortunately, if an ant or two does discover any of these items in your home, they’ll leave a pheromone trail for others to follow. Soon, ants all around your home will know that the buffet doors are open.
Preventive Measures: How to Keep Ants Out
Keep Your Home Clean
Regular cleaning and maintenance can go a long way in preventing an ant infestation. Here are some key preventive measures:
- Wipe Down Surfaces: Ensure there are no crumbs, crusts or crud left on your countertops and sink by frequently wiping them down.
- Floor Maintenance: Be diligent about picking up any food that falls on the floor and make sure there are no lingering liquid spills.
- Seal Food Properly: Items like cereals, crackers, and sweets should be stored in sealed plastic bags or containers to deter ants and other pests. This includes pet food.
- Use anti-ant scents: Ants hate cinnamon, peppermint and lavender. Using oils and cleaners with these smells could deter them from going too far.
- Empty trash: Keep trash bins covered and empty them often to prevent odors from attracting curious diners.
Seal Potential Entry Points
Ants can fit through remarkably small openings, so it’s essential to identify and seal any cracks around windows, doors, and your foundation. A pest control expert can help identify points of entry that you might have overlooked.
How to Get Rid of Ants in Your Pantry and Elsewhere
If you see ants marching across your kitchen counter, you must act quickly. By wiping down the area with cleaner, you can remove the ant pheromone trail they’ve left, making it harder for others to follow their path. A mix of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle does the trick nicely.
There are a lot of different ant traps and baits available. While many of these provide short-term relief, they don’t address the issue of ants entering your home. A pest control expert can provide a more holistic, long-term solution that identifies where ants are getting in and prevents them from coming back. Companies like Gregory offer pest maintenance plans to ensure that seasonal pests like ants stay away.
You Local Ant Control Experts
Ants are notoriously hard to get rid of completely, so don’t hesitate to seek professional help for the most effective treatment. Give Gregory a call, and our experts will assess your situation and devise a plan to rid your home of these troublesome pests.