How to Get Rid of Ants

First, there’s one ant.  Then a second.  Suddenly you open your pantry to find a whole army of ants marching away with your groceries.  What do you do?

By the time you notice ants in your home, it is generally too late to prevent an infestation.  Ants are social creatures, where one goes others follow.  Looking for food, ants can enter your home through cracks in the walls, under doors, or even through roof vents.  Chances are, they will not go away on their own.  Your best course of action is to call a qualified exterminator.  But in the meantime, here are a few ideas for home remedies for ant control.

Home Remedies For Ant Control

1.  Clean, clean, clean.  Make sure your surfaces are free from food particles and sticky substances.  Making it a habit to vacuum floors, wipe down counters, and keep counters free from open food on a daily basis will give ants fewer opportunities to find food.

2.  Store your food properly.  The box your cereal came in is hardly built to withstand an ant invasion.  Rather than relying on manufacturers’ packages, invest in airtight containers for non-perishable food items.  Not only will your cereal stay fresh, ants won’t have an opportunity to mingle with your wheat bran.  Pay close attention to the outside of your reusable containers.  Ants will gladly find the honey you left on the rim of the honey jar or the peanut butter on the outside of the container.  And keep as much of your food in the refrigerator as possible.

3.  Set a few ant traps.  While commercial sprays are designed to kill the ants you see, they can be incredibly toxic to animals and people.  If you want to control your ant population until your exterminator arrives, several commercial ant traps are safe for both animals and pets and can buy you some.  Ultimately, an exterminator will be able to get rid of the colony at its source, but ant bait can certainly reduce your population in the short term.

Finding ants in your food is never fun, but you these methods are great for not only controlling your ant population, but preventing them in the first place.  Just remember, once you see one, more are sure to follow.  It is always best to contact a professional exterminator to keep your home ant free!

Need help with ants? Call Preventive Pest Control today for help!