How to Control Ants
Clean your house., Keep your counters and floors dry., Wash dishes right away., Sweep and vacuum frequently., Wipe up spills., Rinse recycling and store it outside your home., Cover foods stored on your counter., Take the trash out regularly., Seal...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Clean your house.
While they especially like sweet things, ants are not picky eaters and will find many food sources inside your home especially attractive.
Cleaning your house to eliminate any crumbs and traces of food is one of the most effective ways to control ants.Researchers have found that ants will travel as far away as two football fields to hunt for food. -
Step 2: Keep your counters and floors dry.
In addition to food, ants are also interested in locating sources of water.
Drying your counters and floors will also help control ants. , Leaving dirty dishes in the sink will attract ants, so wash your dishes right away or rinse them and run them through the dishwasher.
This will eliminate potential food sources for ants.Don’t forget to clean your pet’s food dishes. , Sweeping and vacuuming your house will get rid of any crumbs that hungry ants might want to track down.Sweep or vacuum after meals to keep ants at bay. , Spills and splashes inevitably occur in your home, but wiping these messes up quickly and thoroughly will help prevent ants from invading your home. , If you recycle, make sure you carefully rinse the containers out so there are no traces of food or liquid that ants will find tasty.
It’s also a good idea to store the recycling outside so ants won’t come looking for tasty treats inside your home.Don’t forget about soda bottles or cans, since ants really like sweet things. , If there is food that you do not store in the fridge, make sure it is tightly sealed and securely covered.
This will prevent ants from getting into your food and gaining a foothold inside your space.Store pet food in an airtight container rather than an open bag so ants aren’t attracted to this as a potential food source. , Regularly disposing of trash, especially any trash containing food, will make your home less attractive to ants.
It’s also a good idea to keep your trash cans away from your house so ants don’t have a direct pathway into your home.To make an ant barrier on your trash can, spread a little petroleum jelly under the lip of the can.
The ants can't cross it easily., To prevent ants from invading your domain, you need to eliminate any potential points of entry.
Caulk or seal cracks and crevices inside your home.While silicone caulk offers a more lasting solution to seal areas where ants may enter, many people find that petroleum jelly is also effective because ants can’t cross over it.Apply to any places where you’ve seen ants enter your home, but also window cracks and door jambs. , When you see ants in your home, pay attention to where they seem to be traveling and how they are getting in.
Ants leave behind a pheromone trail that tells other ants where to go, so you want to eliminate the path they are traveling by scrubbing these areas with soapy water.As a precaution, also scrub any potential areas that may be entry points for ants.
Even though you don’t see ants at the moment, you can eliminate the pheromone trail and the ants will have a harder time remembering where to go. , Ant traps or ant bait stations are effective because the ants feed on the bait.
Then, they return with it to the nest and share it with other members of the colony.
You can usually purchase these at grocery, garden, and home-improvement stores, but you can also make your own.If you buy a bait or trap at the store, make sure you pick a product that is specifically designed for ants.
Locate the bait near areas where you see ants so they will take the bait.
Don’t use other insecticides or ant treatments around the bait stations, because the ants won’t visit them.
You may not notice improvement for a few weeks or even months.
If the ant population doesn't seem to be subsiding, try switching to a different type or brand of ant bait.
Ants can be picky eaters, and some baits are more effective against specific types of ants.
Be careful not to place traps or bait in areas where pets or children can access since the ingredients are typically poisonous.
To make your own ant trap, try sprinkling cornmeal or cornstarch in areas infested with ants.
They can’t digest the cornmeal or cornstarch and will die after eating it. -
Step 3: Wash dishes right away.
-
Step 4: Sweep and vacuum frequently.
-
Step 5: Wipe up spills.
-
Step 6: Rinse recycling and store it outside your home.
-
Step 7: Cover foods stored on your counter.
-
Step 8: Take the trash out regularly.
-
Step 9: Seal cracks
-
Step 10: crevices
-
Step 11: and points of entry inside your home.
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Step 12: Scrub ant trails.
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Step 13: Set an ant trap.
Detailed Guide
While they especially like sweet things, ants are not picky eaters and will find many food sources inside your home especially attractive.
Cleaning your house to eliminate any crumbs and traces of food is one of the most effective ways to control ants.Researchers have found that ants will travel as far away as two football fields to hunt for food.
In addition to food, ants are also interested in locating sources of water.
Drying your counters and floors will also help control ants. , Leaving dirty dishes in the sink will attract ants, so wash your dishes right away or rinse them and run them through the dishwasher.
This will eliminate potential food sources for ants.Don’t forget to clean your pet’s food dishes. , Sweeping and vacuuming your house will get rid of any crumbs that hungry ants might want to track down.Sweep or vacuum after meals to keep ants at bay. , Spills and splashes inevitably occur in your home, but wiping these messes up quickly and thoroughly will help prevent ants from invading your home. , If you recycle, make sure you carefully rinse the containers out so there are no traces of food or liquid that ants will find tasty.
It’s also a good idea to store the recycling outside so ants won’t come looking for tasty treats inside your home.Don’t forget about soda bottles or cans, since ants really like sweet things. , If there is food that you do not store in the fridge, make sure it is tightly sealed and securely covered.
This will prevent ants from getting into your food and gaining a foothold inside your space.Store pet food in an airtight container rather than an open bag so ants aren’t attracted to this as a potential food source. , Regularly disposing of trash, especially any trash containing food, will make your home less attractive to ants.
It’s also a good idea to keep your trash cans away from your house so ants don’t have a direct pathway into your home.To make an ant barrier on your trash can, spread a little petroleum jelly under the lip of the can.
The ants can't cross it easily., To prevent ants from invading your domain, you need to eliminate any potential points of entry.
Caulk or seal cracks and crevices inside your home.While silicone caulk offers a more lasting solution to seal areas where ants may enter, many people find that petroleum jelly is also effective because ants can’t cross over it.Apply to any places where you’ve seen ants enter your home, but also window cracks and door jambs. , When you see ants in your home, pay attention to where they seem to be traveling and how they are getting in.
Ants leave behind a pheromone trail that tells other ants where to go, so you want to eliminate the path they are traveling by scrubbing these areas with soapy water.As a precaution, also scrub any potential areas that may be entry points for ants.
Even though you don’t see ants at the moment, you can eliminate the pheromone trail and the ants will have a harder time remembering where to go. , Ant traps or ant bait stations are effective because the ants feed on the bait.
Then, they return with it to the nest and share it with other members of the colony.
You can usually purchase these at grocery, garden, and home-improvement stores, but you can also make your own.If you buy a bait or trap at the store, make sure you pick a product that is specifically designed for ants.
Locate the bait near areas where you see ants so they will take the bait.
Don’t use other insecticides or ant treatments around the bait stations, because the ants won’t visit them.
You may not notice improvement for a few weeks or even months.
If the ant population doesn't seem to be subsiding, try switching to a different type or brand of ant bait.
Ants can be picky eaters, and some baits are more effective against specific types of ants.
Be careful not to place traps or bait in areas where pets or children can access since the ingredients are typically poisonous.
To make your own ant trap, try sprinkling cornmeal or cornstarch in areas infested with ants.
They can’t digest the cornmeal or cornstarch and will die after eating it.
About the Author
Andrea Adams
Enthusiastic about teaching crafts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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