How To Keep Ants Away From Your Home In New England

It's almost spring! This should be good news right? Unfortunately, spring also means pests. It happens every year around this time. Like clockwork, the ants in New England start their annual march into our lives and into our kitchens and pantries. No one is immune from having pests enter their homes. There are, however, some steps that homeowners can take to prevent the onslaught of these nuisance pests. What can you do to thwart the ants from finding room and board in your home this year? Let's look at a few suggestions from our experts at Pest-End Extermination

5 Simple Steps To Keep Ants Away From Your Home

Overall, you'll want to make your home less desirable.This means don't let the ants have a reason to enter your home for food and water that they need to survive. Since ants especially like sweet liquid, crumbs, and greasy foods you may want to follow some of these simple steps to prevent ants from finding refuge in your home or kitchen.

1. Look For Sources of Ant Invasion

This spring, as you clean up around the exterior of your home, look for cracks or openings that may be sources of entry for ants into your home. Close up and seal using calk any that you can see. Take out your trash regularly and keep storage bins away from the home. If you recycle, wash out all bottles or cans that may have sugar-based products. Those will attract ants quickly. Keep recyclables away from the building of your home as well. You can also get a strip of gravel built around your house, adding one more layer of prevention for the ants that want to enter your house.

2. Store Food Properly And Clean Your Crumbs

Since carpenter ants eat a diet high in protein and sugar they will look for meat droppings or crumbs left by family members most especially in the kitchen but it could be food left out anywhere in the home. Keep floors swept and mopped so that any sweet and meaty food will not be present for them to eat.Since the kitchen tends to be a major hangout of ants take steps to keep ants away. Store sweet staples like sugar, syrup, and honey in plastic containers that snap shut, and wipe them down to remove any sticky residue. Clean up grease spills from countertops and floors as soon as they happen. Check the fruit bowl � any overripe fruit will attract ants. Clean up any spills and droppings of food especially if you have children who are constantly dropping crackers or cookies.

3. Repair Water or Moisture Leaks

Ants need water sources to survive. Keep faucets from dripping or wood from getting wet around the house. Standing water around the home should also be mopped up or removed to eliminate the water source. The bathroom tends to be another great place to find ants since they love moisture. Stop and fix all drips and water build up that ants will drink from. Close all shampoo or sweet-smelling bottles or toothpaste containers that may attract ants.

4. Secure And Seal Your Home

Seal or repair cracks in the foundation, and around doors and windows. Make it as hard as possible for the ant to make entry into your home.. Remove and repair wet or rotting wood that is a nesting area for carpenter ants. Use sealant for bathtubs, sinks, and window cracks. It really doesn't take much for an ant to enter your home.

5. Remove Debris From Your Home's Exterior

Cut tree limbs back so they aren't hanging directly over your house. Remove firewood piles from the area near your home. Place a distance and have it sprayed for pests. You'll also want to clean up weeds, leaves, and other natural debris that's close to your house and could be harboring an ant population. Removing any heavy vegetation around your home also helps prevent ants from coming in.

Monitor Your Home For Signs of Ants

Periodically, you'll want to monitor and check your home for any signs of ants. You'll want to do this yourself and have a professional perform routine inspections. This simple act can save your hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in the long-run, preventing your home from experience damage due to ants.Pest-End is a professional pest extermination company that can help you with all of your pest problems including your annual ant invasion. All of our pest control services are provided with extreme care to families and the environment. Our highly trained technicians will be able to assist you and our office staff will be able to help you with any pest problem that you may be encountering at your property