Summer is a time filled with picnics, plenty of time in the garden, enjoying drinks on the patio, and connecting with friends in-person. As Canadians, we anxiously await this glorious time of year where we can finally step outside without a second thought about what we’re wearing. But let’s be honest, while summer brings a lot of good things along with it, there are also some bad aspects that come with the season, and having ants in your house is up there with some of the worst things that can happen. Ants are an annoyance that plague homeowners all summer long when they make their way inside your home and decide to settle in. If you’ve had the misfortune of spotting ants in your cupboard, underneath your bed, or in the corner of your bathroom, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s how to get rid of ants in your house this summer.
1. Keep an Eye on Trailing Ants
As tempted as you may be to stomp on all the ants you encounter, you have to be more strategic when it comes to getting ants out of your house. The first thing you have to do to get rid of ants for good is observe where they are coming from and going to. Ants don’t just come into your house because they prefer to be indoors – they’re there because they are seeking food. Once an ant gets its little claws on a crumb, it’ll make its way back to the nest and give the scavenged food to the queen. The ant will also leave a scent trail behind it, which serves as a chemical path for fellow worker ants to follow in an effort to get more food.
2. Make Ant Bait Stations
Believe it or not, worker ants can actually work in your favour and help with the elimination process. Placing ant bait stations along the trail you’ve identified is a great way to get rid of the source of all these little critters – the queen. The queen ant is the one that lays all the eggs, and she’ll continue to reproduce and replace the ants that are killed as long as she stays alive. When you set ant bait out, the worker ants will find it, take it back to the nest, and feed it to the queen, which will ultimately result in her death.
3. Keep Your House Clean
Getting rid of ants isn’t a one and done kind of deal. Even if you’ve successfully gotten rid of them for the time being, that doesn’t mean a new colony can’t creep their way into your living quarters. Keeping your home clean is critical to preventing this pest from coming back in. Be diligent about cleaning up any spills that occur, especially spilled sweets like honey and maple syrup. Also, make sure all your food is stored in airtight containers. Ants will feed on anything they can get their hands on!
4. Eliminate Damp Areas
Both house and carpenter ants prefer to reside in damp areas. That’s why you may have noticed these little nuisances hanging out in your bathroom, basement, or on your windowsill. To effectively evict them from your residence, make sure you swiftly wipe up any water and replace water-damaged materials in your home.
5. Seal Your House
If you want to make sure a new group of ants don’t find their way into your space, you must seal off all entry points. Inspect your home and take note of areas where you’ve seen a large number of ants in the past. Apply a sufficient amount of caulk to cracks and crevices around the doors and windows that ants are able to sneak their way into. Don’t forget to seal all pipe, cable, and wire entry points as well!
If you still can’t get your ant problem under control after trying these tips, then it’s time to call the professionals. At Pestend Pest Control Mississauga, we offer pet friendly ant control services that will help you keep the ants away for good. We are so confident in the ability of our exterminators to rid your home of ants that we offer a money-back guarantee to all our customers. Contact us today for a 100% guaranteed ant extermination.
