An infestation of any kind is always going to be unwelcome, although ants seem to be particularly irritating with their numbers growing relentlessly and their presence found in so many rooms of the home. The good news is that you don’t have to put up with it and can actually conduct a successful ant removal that will erratic your ant infestation and safeguard you against a future one. Follow these simple steps in dealing with your ant infestation.
Find your ant trails
Unlike other pests, ants are incredibly predictable and this is going to make the eradication very easy. The worker ants will travel from the nest and into your home, collecting food crumbs and bringing them back to the ant nest and queen ant by following the same chemical trail they left when entering your home. Depending on the ant infestation, you might find there are several trails that may or may not be coming from the same ant nest.
Introduce your ant baits
Place a few ant baits near your ant trails and let the ants bring the poison back to the ant nest and take care of the root cause. It can be very tempting to simply spray a pesticide on the ant trail, but this is a short-sighted solution and will not remedy the problem. If you want your ant baits to be more effective, ensure that the kitchen bench, bathroom counter and all surfaces they are placed on are clean. You want the sweet allure of the ant bait to be the only temptation for the ants. If you have children in the home, place the ant baits safely out of their reach.
Monitor the infestation and replenish the bait
Don’t be surprised if your ants are still active for a week or two, because it doesn’t mean that the ant bait is not working. You might also need to replenish your bait in one or all of your various locations as the ants have depleted them. You will see evidence that it’s working when you find dead ants, so wipe them away and keep your surfaces clean so that your bait can keep doing what they need to do.
Address the entry points
By now you will have a good idea of where your entry points are in the house and can set about sealing them so that you don’t see another ant infestation. Windows, doors and wall cracks are the usual suspects and you can find a number of different materials to seal these points subtly without diminishing the style and integrity of your home. Pay attention to seasonal habits as the warmer weather might see your home more open and susceptible to a possible ant infestation.
Don’t tempt your ants back
Sealing entry points is a great line of defence, but it doesn’t let you off the hook when it comes to maintaining a clean environment. Clear surfaces and an absence of exposed food will not tempt those ants back as there will be no food for them to find. Do your best to clean up after meal preparation, as you might be contending with more than just ants who are looking for the next meal.
Speak with pest control
If you have put all these steps into motion and still find you are dealing with ant infestations, it might be worth speaking to a professional pest control company to get some insight into what else you can be doing. Ant removal is one of the easier pests to combat, but if they seem to be multiplying, a callout visit might be worth considering so you can get your ant-free home back.
An ant infestation is truly unsightly and it can make you feel uneasy about the health and cleanliness of these once sacred places. Follow this actionable guide and watch your ants reduce in numbers and stay away for good.