Do you have an ant infestation? If you’re experiencing an infestation of ants in your home, it’s important to know that there are ways to manage ants and make sure they don’t come in your home as often anymore. If you’re not quite sure what to do about the ants in your home, read this article first to learn more about the problem.
Facts About Ants
There are more than 700 different types of ants in the United States, all with different ways of working and living in different areas. This is one of the reasons that the same method of handling ants may not work with two different types of infestations — it might be a different type of ant.
Ants can also live in colonies of millions of ants. That’s why you can’t just kill whatever ants come into your home; you have to make sure your home is no longer attracting ants. That way, you’ll end up with a better system in place for future infestations.
Most Common Places for Ants to Hide
Where do ants most commonly infest? These three locations are the top ones when it comes to ant concerns.
- Kitchen
The kitchen is definitely a top location for ants to hide. Ants love the fact that the kitchen has a lot of food, which means they’re going to walk around the kitchen and get into all sorts of food if they can. Plus, there are many shelf-stable products you have in your home that may not be airtight, like cereal and pasta, which can lure ants inside.
- Bathroom
Where the kitchen draws in ants because of food, the bathroom draws in ants because of water. Even a small drop of water can be enough for an ant to investigate more of the bathroom. Because bathrooms tend to have so much water, it’s common for small droplets to start forming all around the bathroom, making it hard to keep ants out.
- Basement
The basement is a less-common but still important location to address. Most commonly, ants get into the basement by burrowing around your home, finding a crack in your foundation wall, and coming in through the crack. Because you probably don’t spend a lot of time in your basement, ants can infest the basement for a long time before you notice and stop them.
Methods of Preventing Ants From Coming Inside
How do you prevent ants from coming inside your home? For the most part, it’s about making sure there’s nothing that ants want in your home and reducing the opportunities ants have to come inside. Here are some of the best ways to make sure ants don’t come inside your home:
- Seal Cracks and Holes in Walls and Doors
- Fix Your Leaky Pipes and Faucets
- Seal Food in Airtight Containers
- Wipe Down Kitchen Counters After Using Them
- Use Vinegar Wherever You See Ants Regularly
- Empty Your Trash Regularly
- Stack Firewood at Least 20 Feet Away From the Home
- Repair Cracked Pavement and Foundations
These range in difficulty and intensity, for sure. When you’re preventing ants from coming inside your home, you will probably want to start out with the less-difficult ones and move onto the more-difficult ones. If you see any underlying problems, like issues with your home’s pavement or foundations, you’ll want to talk to an expert before moving forward.
Conclusion
No one wants to deal with ants in their home, but sometimes you do end up with an infestation. This is definitely nothing to worry about; many people struggle with ant infestations every year, often through no fault of their own. However, it is something you should tackle as soon as you can. With this knowledge, you can manage your ant problems much more easily.