Have ants invaded your home? You’re not the only one. Ants are the number one nuisance pest in the country. While you may need to contact a professional for ant control services, it’s important to know why they invaded your home in the first place so you can prevent the problem from happening again.
Left-out food and water are the top reasons ants may have entered your home. In the spring and summer, when ants are most active, you may see them foraging for food. First, scout ants will gain entry, search for food, and then signal to the worker ants if they’ve found the jackpot. If you see a trail of ants, the scout has already told the others there are food sources and it needs backup.
While they’re mostly just a nuisance, ants will also contaminate your food and certain species (carpenter ants) can also cause structural damage. This is why it’s important to take the proper precautions to keep them at bay.
How do I Keep Ants Out of My Home?
The key to keeping ants out of your home is to start eliminating harborage sites around it. We recommend implementing the following tips to help keep ants at bay.
- Inspect the perimeter of your home and seal all visible cracks and crevices using a silicone-based caulk.
- Store food in sealed containers.
- Store pet food in sealed containers.
- Replace loose and damaged weather-stripping around windows and doors.
- Clean up spills and crumbs from floors and countertops.
- Repair leaky pipes.
- Don’t leave pet food bows out all day.
- Trim back shrubs away from the home.
- Ensure gutters and downspouts drain away from your home’s foundation.
- Toss out your garbage regularly.
- Work with a pest control company.
Ant Control Services
Ants are social insects and can live in colonies with thousands of members, making them hard to eliminate. If you’re dealing with an ant infestation and you’ve tried the above methods, you should contact a licensed pest control company who can identify the ant species, locate the nest, and effectively remove the infestation.
Eden Advanced Pest Technologies has been serving the ant control needs of homeowners and businesses in the Spokane WA and Coeur d’Alene ID region since 1986. We’ll treat your ant infestation and help you prevent future infestations!
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