Ants. When you see one marching across the kitchen floor hoisting a crumb of food nearly the size of his whole body, you know there are more where he came from. And soon enough, you find a trail of them marching through your home. Why? Why do they love the inside of your home so much? In a word – food! Ants are nearly always in search of food, and when they find it, they will keep returning for more.
The best solution to the ant problem is to prevent them from targeting your home as a preferred dining spot in the first place. Check major entry points for cracks or damaged seals that allow ants to infiltrate your home. Search around doors, windows, and along the foundation near the ground for ant-sized access points and seal or repair any that you find.
Next step is to eliminate or relocate enticements that encourage them to welcome themselves inside. Remove household garbage promptly and on a regular basis. Clean up spills and dropped food right away. Ants prefer foods with a high sugar content, including actual sugar. Store these foods in air-tight containers or even in the refrigerator as they don’t tolerate cold temperatures well enough to find food inside a properly sealed and chilled fridge worth the risk.
Clean like your in-laws are coming to visit and do so frequently. Move and clean behind and under appliances, don’t leave dirty dishes to collect in the sink, clean countertops, scrub baseboards and seek out any places where food debris can collect unnoticed. And after sweeping and mopping floors, erase ant scent trails by mixing one part vinegar and two parts water in a spray bottle and spraying wherever ants have been spotted in the past. Spray liberally, let sit for a few minutes and wipe up with a paper towel.
If ants are still welcoming themselves into your home after these efforts, you may have a more serious ant problem such as a major infestation or nearby ant hill that requires professional help from The Pest Force.