3 Reasons Ants are Invading Your Home!

These tiny titans can build colonies that can span large residential areas, so it’s no question that prevention and protection of your home is a must! There are a lot of different things that make ants feel welcome in your home. The main three reasons are food, moisture, and vegetation.

  Food: I’m sure it comes as no surprise that ants have a big sweet tooth! Therefore, it’s very important to keep all surfaces clean of sugary foods and other substances. This is most important in the kitchen, and is the most basic means of prevention your home from attracting ants. Similarly, trash cans should all have tight fitting lids and be taken out frequently. These two habits can make a big impact on keeping ants out of your home.

Moisture: Even though most ants prefer to dine on sweets and smaller insects, they also chew wood to build their nests. Carpenter ants, one of the largest type of ants found in the U.S., are also the biggest culprit of all wood inhabiting ants. When it comes to building their nests, ants love moisture and rotting trees or fallen wood. For this reason, they also target homes when searching for a good location to nest.

Vegetation: Having vegetation against your home offers ants easy access to the inside, since ants and other insects can use the vegetation as a bridge into your home. Also, vegetation against the side of your home traps moisture in the siding of the house, and, as we know, ants love damp wood. Vegetation should be kept away from the home as much as possible. For the best results, provide a border between the soil and any wood structures of the home.

Prevention is one of the best ways to manage ants but do-it-yourself techniques won’t always do the trick. The best defense from these crafty insects is a comprehensive pest control plan. For the best protection, call PermaTreat, and let our technicians treat your problem specifically, as not all ants have the same ant-swers!