Birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and ants are everywhere. It must be
There are more than 12,000 species of ants all over the world, and they can be more than just a nuisance in our daily lives. Ants can destroy goods and property, and they can even pose a health risk by contaminating foods.
Ants invade your home in search of three things:
- Food
- Water
- Shelter
Although it may not be possible to prevent ants from entering your home without professional help, you can reduce your chances of an infestation.
@nottinghampest
Indoors, you can eliminate attractive food sources by immediately cleaning up food spills, not leaving dirty dishes in the sink and storing food items in the refrigerator or in sealed containers.
However, foraging ants often attack homes from colonies nesting outside. Therefore, minimizing resources around your yard is equally as important. You can start by removing overgrown foliage, brush piles and excess fallen leaves to eliminate harborage or nesting sites on your property. In addition, keep trees, shrubs, and bushes trimmed back away from any structure to prevent ants from using branches as a sky bridge into your home. Be sure to schedule regular trash pick-up, and keep waste containers clean and stored away from the home. This eliminates food sources that may attract hungry ants. Lastly, address any leaky pipes, AC drip lines or over-irrigated areas of the yard that could serve as moisture sources.
Excluding ants from entering your home is another important step in stopping these unwanted invaders. Common pest entry points include poorly sealed doors, windows, and plumbing and utility penetrations. A good rule of thumb is, if you can see light from the outside while you are standing inside, there is enough of a gap for ants to enter. Many of these access points can be corrected by replacing worn out weather stripping on doors and windows, or by using an appropriate sealant to fill other gaps. However, failing to identify or correctly seal all access points may still give ant’s (and other unwanted pests) free access to forage and nest inside your home.
Contact us today to inspect your home, and to provide a detailed assessment of how we can protect your family from ants.