Ants can seem mysterious; but they're not all that mysterious. If you know a few simple facts about them, not only can you remove the mystery, but you can also prevent ants from getting into your Baldwin County home. Today, we're going to offer up an easy, step-by-step guide to understanding ants, and preventing ant infestations. Here's what every Baldwin County resident should know about ants.
1. Seal Entry Points
If you find ants crawling around inside your home in large numbers, you might wonder how all those ants found their way inside. What you may not know is that hundreds of ants can come into your home through one tiny opening. Why? Because an ant that finds food inside your home leaves a trail as it returns to the nest. This trail is detected by other ants, and they follow it. One by one, they find the food and return to the nest, adding to the trail as they go. The first step in preventing ant infestations is to address as many exterior entry points as you can find, starting with the most common.
- Replace damaged weatherstripping and door sweeps on exterior doors.
- Seal cracks in foundation walls.
- Seal gaps around pipes and other foundation penetrations.
- Seal gaps around pipes where they enter into the interior of your home under kitchen and bathroom sinks.
- Repair wood that has been damaged by pests, or use a caulking gun to fill the holes.
2. Clean Surfaces
If lots of ants have gotten into your home, you could have a pheromone scent on surfaces. This scent can continue to invite ants into your home long after you've picked up the food source that first attracted them. You need to wipe and disinfect surfaces to remove this attractive scent if you hope to keep ants out of your home. This includes counters, floors, and food-prep areas.
3. Remove Food Options
When ants scout your home for food, it is important that they don't find any. Not only can a food source inspire thousands of ants to enter your home lock-and-step, it can give some ant species a reason to establish a nest inside your home. Here are a few ways you can remove food options for ants:
- Put your food in sealed containers.
- Put recycling items and other potential food sources in a sealed tote, especially when stored in your garage.
- Put dirty dishes in a sink of soapy water until you're ready to clean them.
- Put food down for your pets during mealtimes, and never overnight.
- Put fruit in the fridge, rather than on display.
- Wipe cupboards and shelves.
- Deep clean under and around appliances.
- Store garbage in clean receptacles and remove trash before smells develop.
4. Address Moisture Issues
Water is a building block of life, and some ant species are strongly attracted to damp habitats both inside and outside of Baldwin County homes. If you address moisture, you can resist ant activity.
- Clean your gutters and make sure they are in good repair.
- Repair pipes, spigots, faucets, and showerheads.
- Install dehumidifiers in damp spaces.
- If you have a crawl space under your home, install a sump pump and seal the space to remove this ideal habitat for ants and other pests.
5. Repair Rotting Wood
Many ant species are attracted to rotting wood and wood piles. It is essential to move wood piles away from your home and to replace any rotting wood on your home. This can keep ants out and also prevent carpenter ants from creating a nest. Carpenter ants have a preference for chewing tunnels in rotting wood and they are known to move to sound, undamaged wood inside homes. Here are a few more tips for preventing a carpenter ant infestation and carpenter ant damage.
- Remove logs, stumps, and dead trees from your yard.
- Address trees that have heart rot.
- Remove leaves from your landscaping and out from underneath your deck and other structures.
- Address aphids problems quickly. The honeydew created by aphids is a strong attractant for carpenter ants and several other ant species.
6. Get Professional Assistance
Each ant species is slightly different. Effective control of ants begins with proper identification and a selection of appropriate, eco-friendly control products and pest maintenance strategies. This is where we can help. At Prewett Pest Control, we use industry-leading methods and products to get control of ants with the least amount of chemical products.
Do you have questions about ants in Daphne, Fairhope, Orange Beach, and Foley, or do you need help with an ant problem? Reach out to us today. We're ready to help you with all your pest control needs. We'll find the right solution to address the ants you're dealing with.