How to Deal With an Ant Infestation
This article explores the steps you can take to address the infestation of ants in your home. Read on to find out everything you need to know.
Locate entry points
The first thing you need to do is to identify how the ants are coming into your home and block any entry points. Watch out for areas where the walls and roof meet as this is a common spot where ants can enter your home unnoticed. Ants also gain entry through gaps around baseboards and through broken seals on your doors or windows.
Clean your home and remove food debris
Once you are sure that all entrances are sealed up, it's time to clean the house to remove any food debris that is attracting the ants into your home. You need to check for items like crumbs under the fridge, loose sugar granules in the cupboard, or sticky syrup spills on countertops as these will all attract ants. If you have pets, they may leave food bowls outside that could attract ants. You should remove pet food dishes as soon as your pet has finished eating or cover and seal them.
Disinfect floors to remove scent markers
Wash and mop all floor surfaces to remove any food debris. If possible, use a steam cleaner and disinfectant as this will also kill ants and remove the scent marker trails they leave behind. This is an important step as the scent mark of ants is how they navigate around your home, so by removing it, you can help prevent their return.
Kill ants with insecticide powder
Place an insecticide powder all-around your home where you have found ant trails. This will kill any ants that come into contact with the product and deter them from entering your home. Keep away from children and pets as some products can be harmful if ingested.
Call a pest control company
If you do not wish to try and deal with an infestation of ants yourself, it is best to call in a pest control company to exterminate them for you. They will use pesticides to kill the ants. Then they will physically destroy the nest network to prevent it from being recolonised in the future. The pest control company will remove the nest and destroy it to prevent the ants from returning.
For more advice and information, you should contact a pest control company today. A contractor will be happy to help.