We’ve all been there: You’re planted on the porch enjoying a glass of lemonade or stretched out on the couch watching your favorite sitcom, when suddenly you look down to see a monstrous line of ants. Where did they come from? You rack your brain for any possible reason for their sudden appearance, but you can’t think of anything obvious that would’ve attracted these little pests. So why in the heck are they invading your home?
Why Do I Have Ants?
There are many reasons ants might have made it into your home, even when preventive steps have been taken to keep out the little varmints:
• Water – Ants are attracted to any place where there is water. Even tiny amounts, such as spilled puddles of water on a bathroom floor, are enough to attract dozens of ants. And once you have a couple…
• Sugar – Despite popular belief, it doesn’t take a spill or sticky mess to attract ants. They can smell sugar from inside your refrigerator and cabinets.
• Food traces – the tiniest of crumbs on the floor and the scent of dirty dishes also draws them inside.
What Can I Do?
Preventative measures should be taken before the presence of ants, but if it is too late for that, follow one or more of the following methods to rid your home of ants:
• Find the nest – This method takes more time and patience than others, but it is somewhat satisfying when you’ve followed the worker ants and tracked down their nest. By locating their home and then spraying boric acid powder between walls or behind tiles near the location, you can be sure to eliminate all, rather than just a small percentage, of the population.
Also check out these 5 natural ways to repel ants:
• Sprinkle cayenne pepper near the area ants are entering your home.
• In a food processor, blend water and citrus peels, specifically lemon peels. Alternatively, mix lemon juice with water. Just spray the area where they are most congested, and where they are entering at.
• Place instant grits in their line of path, and watch them die almost instantly. The grits work as a dehydrator, which drains their body of all its water.
• Mix white vinegar and water for the safest repellent for home use. Spray along the ants’ paths for best results.
Pest Control
Hopefully you will find a few of these tips useful in ridding your home of ants. However, if you don’t have success with any of these tips, you might want to consider calling a pest control service to come out and spray your home. They are equipped with powerful but safe chemicals that will eliminate your ant problem completely.