It’s never a good time to have an ant invasion in your home, but it’s even worse if it keeps happening. If you’re dealing with continued ant problems, you don’t have to lose all hope! Ants eventually catch up with most homeowners or renters, but you can live a relatively ant-free life if you keep on top of prevention and an eye out for invaders. Here’s what an ant infestation can tell you about your home and what you can do to stop it!
Access Points
The ants are getting in somewhere and it can be as simple as a small tear in a basement window screen or a tiny crack in the wall hidden behind a decorative plant. You might have several areas where ants are able to walk right in without you even knowing and the best way to combat this is to do a thorough investigation of the foundation of your home. Fill all small cracks and holes that you find with caulking, paying extra attention to areas like around utility hookups, chimneys and around windows and doors. Replace or repair window screens and make sure the weather stripping in your home is properly fitted and isn’t damaged.
Food or Water Source
If you have leaky taps or moisture buildup in lower traffic areas of your home, this is where ants will gravitate to for a source of water. Crumbs, spills, dropped bits of food, leftovers on the counter overnight, dishes in the sink for several days or garbage left out long enough to smell are open invitations for ants as this is an excellent environment for them to find sustenance. If you remove these two temptations, the likelihood that ants will want to invade is much, much less. Fix those taps that are dripping, repair any leaks in the roof and air out rooms that collect moisture to remove available water. Sweep, vacuum and clean up spills on the floors and wipe down counters and other surfaces with a vinegar, soap and water solution as ants are repelled by vinegar. Remember to take out garbage frequently and don’t leave fruit and veggies out on the counter if you can! Store your dry foods in airtight containers and this includes pet food!
Don’t Offer Shelter
Piles of firewood stacked against the house, brush or twig collections, bags or piles of leaves and stacks of newspaper are prime locations for ants to hide out before they make the trek inside your home. If you can store your firewood and other items away from the home this is ideal as you want as little possible cover-up against the walls of your home. Overhanging branches are a way in and should be pruned back to prevent them from creating bridges for ants and other pests.
Ant-proofing your home should start early in your spring cleaning as carpenter ants start to make themselves known in the Calgary area around April and May. Do your best to prepare and protect your home against ants, but if you’re dealing with an army of these tiny insects, we can help you! Give us a call at 403.262.1666 to book a consultation and inspection today so we can get started on helping you live an ant-free life!
