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This is why it's so important to learn how to stop ants before their colonies outnumber the population of your state.
There are lots of simple techniques that can stop an ant infestation that doesn't require a degree in entomology. Although if your case has progressed far enough, you will need to consult a professional.
So commit these tips to memory, and make sure ants stay out of your house.
How To Stop Ants By Cleaning Your House
The most basic way to start getting rid of ants is to clean your house. However, this means a lot more than just the basic upkeep most homeowners are used to.
If you've been lax in your hygiene standards, cleaning will have a number of positive effects, including reducing the number of ants you see.
First, you'll need to throw out all the garbage and junk in your house. Ants can make a habitat out of it, and eat any residue they can find.
The next thing you want to do is sweep and mop every floor surface in your home. Wipe down all your counters and wash all the dirty dishes you can find.
Wash your bedding and dust every surface in the house. Once you've cleaned your house thoroughly, the most important thing is maintaining this cleanliness.
Your goal is to starve the ants out of your home, so put all food in airtight containers that ants can't get into.
You'll also need to wash your dishes immediately after you're done with them. Dishes are a four-course banquet for ants. They will feast on the tiny chunks of food left behind on dishware.
This is especially true for small ants that don't need much to eat. Clean up any spills or crumbs the instant you spot them. You should also stop wearing shoes in the house, and wipe your shoes off at the door.
Shoes track dirt, bits of dead bugs, and other things into your house. Desperate ants will pick up on this and eat whatever they can find.
Find and Eliminate Cracks
Sealing up any cracks and entrances goes a long way in learning to how to prevent ants from invading your home.
A physical barrier into your home will prevent ants from bringing food from the outside into your home. It will also allow you to focus on the ants inside your home.
If you're lucky, the ant queen will not be located inside your house, meaning that the only ants you have to take care of are the ones indoors. Then it's a simple matter of starving and poisoning them.
Ants will come through obscure places, so check your attic, basement, and walls for cracks or chips. Once you've done that, be sure to mark them so you remember where they are.
Once you've done that, plug up all the holes with steel wool and caulk. Using caulk to keep the steel wool in place prevents the ants from chewing through it.
If you seal all the holes, this will leave the ant infestation inside the walls, where they'll starve to death. If you can prevent them from accessing the food in your house, they'll be forced to go elsewhere.
If you still see ants and decide to hire an exterminator, they'll also be able to show you the spots you missed as part of the basic pest control package.
Make The Outdoors More Attractive
Ants look for warm places with plenty of food nearby to nest in.
Once you've locked them out of your home, you can redirect them into the outdoors and further away from your house by putting honeydew wherever you want them to be.
Keeping your firewood away from your house will also keep ants away since they like to make their nests in wood. There are lots of ways to keep different insects out of your firewood, but there are some basics to keep in mind.
For one, if you have an ant infestation, they will gravitate towards your firewood.
Keep your firewood dry to avoid attracting carpenter ants, and keep them on an elevated surface outdoors to keep termites out of your wood.
Your House Belongs To You, Not The Ants
Once you've used all these tips, your house should be ant free. If not, then it's time to bring out the big guns and consult our pest control experts.
There's only so much an amateur can know about how to stop ants.
It's possible that the ants are entering your home through a crack you've missed or can't access easily. They could also be accessing food from inside your walls or some other place you wouldn't think to look.
Or you may need poison and the tools to get rid of certain species of ants, like crazy ants, which are almost impossible to get rid of without professional help. Get in touch with a professional and schedule a consultation today.
