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Whenever spring and summer come, ant infestation may appear inside people’s homes. It doesn’t matter whether you live on the 20th floor or in a house; ants will visit you if you aren’t careful. The main issue regarding ants arises due to their resourcefulness and opportunism. You could say that the ants just don’t care because they can survive in a wide variety of places. And once they make shelter, you’ll have a tough time getting rid of ant infestation.
Most people turn to ant blocking chalk (which makes the ants avoid that area), but this isn’t always as effective as expected. The only way you’ll be able to get rid of an ant infestation is by combining the two most important types of sanitation – indoor sanitation and outdoor sanitation. We’ll talk about that a little bit later in the article.
Additionally, you won’t be able to just squash them with your fingers or feet because there are way too many of them for that during an infestation, and because you’ll have to force them out of hiding as well as destroy their shelter. This is where pesticide comes into play. Unfortunately, removing ants requires some form of pesticide but it usually comes in spray form.
So, it’s time to help you understand the processes involved in getting rid of ants, as well as some tips and tricks.
How to Deal With Ant Infestation
Sanitation
As mentioned before, there are two main types of sanitation involved in ‘masking’ your home. Once everything is done, you shouldn’t be attacked by ant infestation in the future (as long as you keep the sanitation levels high).
Okay, but how do you fix potential issues with your home? Well, the process isn’t too difficult, but you will have to be thorough. Don’t forget that even the slightest missed pile of trash can be a breeding ground for ants that are interested in food. Therefore, if you can, dedicate an entire day to cleaning everything and dealing with potential entry points.
Let’s start with indoor sanitation, shall we?
Indoor Sanitation
The most targeted room in every home is the kitchen. Whenever you’re making lunch, breakfast, or dinner, some unintentional pieces of food end up behind your appliances, on the floor, in the corners, and in similar other areas.
That’s where you should start with the sanitation process.
- Clean and Empty Cabinets – Some people accidentally place a box of cereal on its side and a couple of bits of cereal drop out of the box. And there you go – a food source for ants. Make sure all of your cabinets are completely clean and, if necessary, empty some of the if there’s room elsewhere.
- Take Care of Kitchen Appliances – Frying some french fries? Did you know that any oil spill (whether on the appliance or on the floor) attracts ants and causes ant infestation? They can live off any food spills and grease under your stove. If necessary, move the appliances out of the way to clean under them and behind them, and that includes all of them (fridge, microwave, etc.). Also, give the underside of your sink a clean.
- Seal Food in Food Containers – A cardboard box isn’t immune to ants and that’s the most common way they get into them. Store any food that doesn’t need a fridge in glass or hard plastic containers. Make sure they’re sealed shut.
- Make Sure you Designate an “Eating Room” – The more rooms you eat in, the higher the chances some crumbs end up on the floor. Plus, it helps you in the sense that you’ll have less to clean on a daily basis.
- Clean the Kitchen Each Night Before you Go To Sleep – Ants are most active during the night so it’s best you don’t leave them anything out in the open. Additionally, if you clean the kitchen each night, you’ll do it quicker due to it being less dirty.
- Throw Away Uneaten Pet Food – Don’t just leave bits of pet food in the container; empty them and wash them every night to prevent a potential food source for the ants.
That should be it for cleaning.
Water Sources
Ants require water like any other animal, which is why you shouldn’t leave anything up to chance. Here’s what you should do:
- Fix sweating pipes and faulty plumbing.
- Use a towel to completely dry sinks, showers, and rubs. Plug the drains as well.
- Make sure refrigerator drip tray is empty.
- Water dishes for pets need to be dried and emptied as well. You can refill them in the morning.
- Move all wet sponges and dish rags from the kitchen (in the washing machine, in an airtight storage bag over the night, or hang them outside so they can dry).
Entry Points
The eluding world of entry points. When it comes to other animals such as mice or rats, plugging entry points is relatively simple. However, with ants, you won’t have such an easy time. This part of the process is extremely important because you’ll want to avoid having thousands of ants in your home.
Seal all crevices and cracks that you can find by using duct tape on window frames and doors, and on baseboards. You can also use caulk for this.
Outdoor Sanitation
This one applies mostly to house owners and very rarely to apartments. Basically, if you notice any ants running around your house, you would be wise to do something about that. If they’re on the outside, they can easily enter your home as well. This process can prove to be a bit more tedious than the indoor job you have to do, but it’s still necessary.
There are three things that ants need in order to survive and this is important information.
They need food, shelter, and water (sometimes even moisture can be enough). This is true for all pests (so if there’s another type of infestation, you can apply the same tips). Your job is to limit or completely get rid of some or all of these needs.
Here’s what you should do:
- Stop ants from climbing up trees and going into foliage by cutting off some branches so they don’t touch your house. Shrubs also need to be trimmed down. This is an effective method and discourages the use of pesticide.
- If your dumpsters and trash cans get too dirty, clean them by using an ammonia solution. Do this when necessary.
- Coming back to shrubs and bushes, make sure you trim them from the bottom as well so you can see underneath them.
- Keep trash cans and dumpsters at a distance from your home. The closer they are, the higher the risk for infestation.
- Every second week, turn bedding material such as mulch to prevent moisture retention and stop the ants from building nests.
- Any fruit trees near your home should be kept clean. Pick up any dropped fruit and pick the fruit only when ripe.
- Downspouts, a not so well-known ant shelter, need to be emptied. If there’s anything in them, get rid of it.
- Lawns need to be kept short; mow whenever you notice it grow too big.
- Move stacked wood, remove grass clippings, get rid of leaf piles and anything that is on your lawn and shouldn’t be there.
Ant Bait
At the beginning of the article, we talked about ant bait and how it will be necessary to complete the removal process.
There are a couple of things to note: One product won’t be enough (in some cases it will, but usually you’ll have to employ more than one).
There are three that we recommend as they’re amazing:
- Ant spray that works as a non-repellent aerosol. This one should be used on windows, around doors, and baseboards. It’s basically a type of insecticide.
- Two different ant baits for counters, cabinets, and sinks. This is to prevent the use of sprays that are inappropriate for these locations. Carbohydrate-based bait, and Protein-based bait.
The same is applied to outdoor situations.
Things to Look Out For
Basically, not all ants you encounter are evil. Having a couple of outdoor ants helps keep populations of other insects in control.
However, ant infestations arise due to them moving inside your home. Once this happens, you’ll have no choice but to eradicate their shelters on the outside. This is because they’ll constantly keep coming into your home and/or around it which can become even tougher to deal with.
The mix of products we mentioned should help you out completely and make both your home and your backyard ant-free.
Conclusion
Check out this cool ant-infographic!
In the end, it all comes down to strategy and diligence. If you take care of your home properly, the chance for an ant infestation drops massively. And, even if you have a couple of problematic areas inside the house, they’re simple to deal with (albeit tedious).
Ants aren’t as dangerous as some other pests, but they are annoying and no one likes having ants in their home. It’s in your best interest to take all the information and tips given and prepare in time. If you’re experiencing an infestation – Good luck! Otherwise, try to prevent one from even happening.
