The two ants you’re most likely to see in your home are the carpenter ant and the odorous house ant. These ants play an important role in the ecosystem. But when inside a structure, they can cause serious problems. Carpenter ants destroy wood while odorous house ants leave behind a smelly odor and can contaminate food.

How to Keep Ants Out

Maintain Cleanliness

The most surefire way to help keep ants out is to maintain a clean and dry home. Ants seek out homes and businesses in search of reliable food, water, and shelter. If you keep a clean home, ants will no longer be attracted to it and will move on elsewhere.

Seal Entry Points

Ants are tiny insects that can fit through the smallest of spaces so walk around your home and seal up potential entry points these pests may use to get inside your home. This includes applying a weatherstrip to doors and windows, applying a silicone-based caulk to seal cracks, and installing door sweeps.

Store Food Properly

It may come to no surprise to you that ants are greatly attracted to food. So to help deter ants, store your food in airtight containers. Plus, this will also keep your food fresh, longer.

Eliminate Moisture

Ants are attracted to water because like us they need it to survive. In fact, without a constant supply of water, ants would die in about 7 to 10 days. Inspect your plumbing, like underneath your sinks and in your basement or crawl space, and repair water leaks as necessary.

Trim Back Shrubbery

Trim back shrubs and other foliage at least 18 inches away from your home. Pests will frequently use branches as little bridges to gain entry into homes.

Remove Decaying Wood

Carpenter ants are wood-destroying pests. They are attracted to rotting or moist wood as they use it to build their nests. To help prevent a carpenter ant infestation, remove all decaying wood from around your property.
If you have a constant ant problem, you may want to consider having regular, quarterly visits by a certified pest control company, like Interstate Pest Management. We can take care of any ant infestation with our interior and exterior treatments. We’ll inspect your property for ant activity, identify the species, and perform the necessary treatment.