How to Prevent Ants from Invading Your Home

Starting small but growing to massive numbers in a short period of time, ant infestations are not to be taken lightly. All it takes is for a few scouts to find a source of food or water to communicate that message back to the colony. 

After this point, it’s only a matter of time before a full-scale infestation begins, but with preventive treatments and careful monitoring around your home, Brooks Pest Solutions can help you keep your home secured from ants of any kind. 

What Causes an Ant Infestation?

Ants come inside for the same reasons as most other pests–looking for food, water, or a new place to move their colony. What makes them so tricky to deal with is the scale of the infestation, with tens or hundreds of thousands all arriving at once to invade your home.

An established ant infestation can only be effectively removed through professional pest control, but you can reduce the risk by eliminating the factors that draw them inside.

Ants’ Favorite Foods

Ants are not picky eaters, and they’ll happily chew away at garbage, rotting meat, or practically any other organic material. There are a few foods, on the other hand, that ants are absolutely crazy about.

Greasy or protein-rich foods, such as meat and peanut butter, are among their favorites. Dense in calories and easy for them to digest, sources of energy like spilled grease, fat, butter, and milk can convince a colony to come inside.

Unattended pet food is another easy opportunity that ants love to target. Many pet owners leave food in large open bowls or gravity dispensers, which, while convenient, also allow ants to easily crawl inside. An open bag of dog food in your closet can draw thousands of ants, so make sure all food, whether it’s for pets or people, is properly sealed.

When Are Ant Infestations Most Common?

Environmental changes are the second most common factor that draws ants indoors.

Spring and summer months see the highest ant activity as colonies expand, having awoken from their winter dormancy. This activity will only continue to grow as the year continues, with late summer and early fall often triggering ant swarming and nest relocation.

• Tip: Seeing discarded wings in your window sill is a common sign of swarmers, whether they’re reproductive termites or flying ants. 

Excessive rainfall can also bring ants into your home any time of year. Heavy rain forces colonies to seek dry shelter, pushing them indoors, often into residential spaces, where moisture and food sources are more abundant.

Pest Prevention for Ants

It’s always best to stay ahead of an ant infestation because once they start forming trails leading inside from the colony, they can be nearly impossible to fully eradicate without professional help.

Let’s look at two strategies that will help you reduce the appeal and accessibility of your home to ants.

Keep Your Kitchen Clean

While these cleaning tips apply most frequently to your kitchen, any room in your home where food or beverages are common should be tidied regularly to prevent pests.

Let’s start with the elevated surfaces where food is prepared, like sinks, stoves, and countertops. Wipe these down regularly with alcohol and, even if they appear clean, sweep your floors daily to avoid the buildup of crumbs. Food debris loves to gather in corners or between appliances, so be sure to hit those areas with a vacuum to remove as much potential ant food as possible.

Now let’s switch from cleaning to sealing. Ants, especially small species like ghost ants, can fit through even the smallest gaps, so make sure your food is stored in airtight containers. 

This last step is important—make sure your trash bags are replaced regularly and properly sealed to avoid an infestation from forming, as these are one of the most common places for them to start. 

Identify Entrypoints Inside and Outside

You can start by inspecting your home for small cracks in walls, gaps around doors and windows, and openings near utility lines. Remember, ants can squeeze through even the tiniest spaces. 

Sealing these gaps with caulk and weather stripping creates a barrier that helps keep ants out. It also helps to watch for ant trails inside your home and trace them back to their entry points. 

However, it can be difficult to find all potential entry points and vulnerable areas without an expert eye, and thankfully, that is where Brooks Pest Solutions steps in. 

How to Get Rid of an Ant Infestation With Brooks Pest Solutions

Professional preventive treatments can stop ants from building nests around your home before they become a major problem. Brooks Pest Solutions’ treatments target ants by focusing on the areas where your home is most vulnerable with a proactive preventive approach. Acting early can minimize damage and reduce the need for strong pesticides so you and your family can quickly go back to enjoying a happy, healthy home. 

Brooks Pest Solutions can provide the support and expertise you need to keep ants out of your home. Contact us to request a quote on ant control today.