Prevent Ant Infestations
No pest infestation is ever welcome, but when it comes to severity, most ant infestations are very low on the scale. However, there are a few species which are quite common in home infestations that will cause damage, sting people, or cause bad odors in the home. This is why it’s important to know how to prevent ant infestations, and in this article, we’re going to take a look at just that.
Keep your kitchen counter and floor as clean as possible
Ant colonies send out scouts to look for food, and when these scouts enter the home, they will usually find spills or leftovers which they can take back to the colony. Once a scout finds a food source, it will leave behind a pheromone trail that will signal to the worker ants that they need to go and pick up the food.
If there is no food to be found however, the scout will return empty-handed and it will leave no pheromone trail, which means the ants will not invade the home. As such, if you want to prevent ant infestations, you need to make sure that the kitchen counters and the floor do not have any spills or crumbs on them, and that you clean up the dishes as soon as you are done with them.
Store all your food in sealed containers
Ant scouts may also find food in cupboards, or other storage areas of the kitchen. They may come across some cereal for example, or some pet food. If you keep all your food in sealed containers, not only will you be able to lower the odds of an ant infestation, but the odds of a pest infestation in general.
Hire a pro
Finally, to prevent ant infestations, you can work with a pest control professional. A pro will be able to apply residual termiticide in areas of the home that commonly have entry points through which ants and other insects gain access into the building. When these insecticides are applied, they effectively stop any insects from entering the home, including spiders and other pests. You may also be dealing with a colony that is inside the building, if you notice ants in the home, so an inspection and control process may be necessary as well. If you would like to know more about ant control, or if you are currently dealing with an infestation, contact us today.
