It's that time of year again. April showers bring May flowers, and they also bring ants! If you're like most people, you don't want ants invading your kitchen.
It's that time of year again. April showers bring May flowers, and they also bring ants! If you're like most people, you don't want ants invading your kitchen. Ants may not be the most destructive or dangerous household pest you’ll ever come across but they never seem to go away either. But here at Evergreen Lawn & Pest Control, we’re here to help you finally get rid of them for good!
Why Are There Ants In My Kitchen?
Put simply, ants are always looking for food. Their massive and complex colonies require vast amounts of nutrition to sustain themselves and your kitchen is a goldmine of free food. So if your food is improperly stored, decaying fruits and vegetables are left out on counters, or even if there are just easily-accessible crumbs lying around, you can bet that ants will find them.
How To Prevent Ants From Getting In My Kitchen
As with so much of pest control, the best offense is usually a good defense. By that of course, we mean that performing routine maintenance around your home can go a long way toward keeping ants out. Some of our favorite methods to prevent ants include:
- Routine cleaning: One of the most effective ways to keep ants out of your kitchen is also one of the most simple: just keep it clean! Regular cleaning of surfaces, drains, and food storage areas not only reduces the amounts of loose or decomposing foods that ants find so enticing but will also prevent the sorts of odors that lure them inside.
- Regular removal of garbage: Taking out the trash and regular intervals is also a remarkably effective means of ant prevention. After all, when deprived of their favorite foods, they’ll be forced to look for it somewhere else.
- Clean up after your pets: Anyone who’s ever leaned down to pick up their pet’s food bowl only to see it overrun by ants can tell you that it’s not an experience that they wish to repeat. Ants love pet food. It's easy to transport, calorie-dense, and rich in nutrition, meaning that they commonly target dirty pet bowls or dishes. So after your cat or dog is done eating, make sure to thoroughly wash up both their dishes and the area in which they eat.
- Proper food storage: Storing food in cardboard boxes, non-resealable plastic bags, or just leaving it on the counter offers little to no protection from hungry ants. Instead, we recommend using freezer bags, heavy-duty plastic containers with locking lids, and of course, your refrigerator. Ants may be relentless but that doesn’t mean that you need to make it easy for them!
- Seal cracks and crevices: Being as small as they are, ants need only the slightest opening to get into your home. A seemingly microscopic crack in your foundation or gap between your windows and the windowsill is more than enough. It follows then, that ensuring such entry points are removed will make it very difficult for ants to get indoors. We recommend going with a trained professional to get this done however, as they’ll be able to provide you with a lasting solution.
How To Get Rid Of Ants In The Kitchen
You might have done everything to prevent ants from getting inside, but sometimes, they just seem to appear out of nowhere. Legendarily stubborn and fanatical in their drive to steal every last morsel of food out of your kitchen, ants can prove to be a real challenge. Here are some tips to get rid of ants in your kitchen:
- Bait traps: A simple, inexpensive bait trap can be a potent weapon in the fight against ants. Placing a few in close proximity to where you’ve observed their activity can dramatically reduce their presence in your home and even prevent future infestations if enough of their scouts are eliminated. Just remember that ant traps should be changed out every 2-3 months.
- Natural DIY repellents: If you take a look around your kitchen, chances are good that you’ll find more than a few things that ants really don’t like. For example, ants are repelled by cucumber skins, black pepper, lemon peels, and Borax. Placing these items around their favorite pathways or soaking cotton balls with a Borax, sugar, and water solution can all be highly-effective ways of combating an ant infestation with everyday household items.
- Chemical sprays: When all else fails, a chemical insecticide spray will almost always get the job done. While they’re proven to work though, their results typically aren’t long-lasting and using dangerous chemicals around your kitchen may not be ideal. If you choose to go this route, exercise plenty of caution, deploy the sprays as conservatively as possible, and always follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Still Have Ants In Your Home?
If after all of this, you’re still struggling to get rid of ants in your home, you don’t need to worry. Our professional pest control service has been clearing Central Florida’s homes of ants for more than 30 years! Here at Evergreen, we believe in a personalized and innovative approach to home pest control, offering you the level of service and the results that you deserve every time. So if ants are making you feel uncomfortable in your own kitchen, give us a call!
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