Ants are often praised for being hardworking creatures that can carry over ten times their body weight. But admiring ants from a far is quite different than seeing them march across your kitchen counter, or finding a trail of ants going down your shower wall. Ants can be frustrating to eradicate from your home because of their persistent nature. If you are wondering how to eliminate an ant infestation from your home, the first step is to identify what is attracting them inside in the first place. Once you locate their entry points, you can use preventative measures to stop the constant traffic. But if your efforts are to no avail, a sure fire way to stop ants from infesting your home is to call a licensed pest control pro to eliminate the ants inside and outside of your home to keep them from coming into your kitchen and bathroom for good.
Why are ants in your kitchen?
Ants leave behind a scent trail of pheromones for all their fellow ants to find and follow. If they discover something they want to eat, they will soon set up a trail along your baseboards or right across the wall to the source of food. But it isn’t just a matter of not dropping crumbs on the floor of your kitchen. There are other spots in your kitchen that can also be a magnet for ants. Leaky pipes under the sink, or a constant wetness around the refrigerator ice dispenser can attract ants. If you have indoor pets, you may feed your pets in the kitchen and a bowl of kibble is very attractive to a line of marching ants.
If you have stored food that is not in airtight containers, like a cereal box, for example, ants may find the motherload food source in your pantry.
Preventive steps to keep ants away
To prevent ants from entering your kitchen:
- Wipe down your tables and counters with an all purpose cleaner
- Keep floors and surfaces free from crumbs, and, especially, sticky spots from surgery drink spills or honey
- Caulk around windows and door frames. Ants can enter through tiny cracks so checking for small entry points will help keep ants from coming in
- Keep food in airtight containers
- Spray white vinegar around possible entry points to deter ants from entering
A pest control professional will eradicate ants from your home
When you realize that the ants are not responding to any of your efforts to rid your home of these marching insects, give a professional a call for help. An experienced pest control pro will quickly eliminate the ants from inside your home. Once the home is clear, the pro will head outside to find the source of ants that have persistently returned day after day to the tiny, surgery treats left on your floor that can be hardly seen by humans.
If you are tired of a daily battle against the ants invading your home, call in the experienced, licensed pros at Nixtermite in San Diego County, to stop the ants in their tracks and create an ant free zone within the walls of your home.
