How to control ants in your house

The key things to know about how to control ants in your house

Ants are tiny in size but they can be a huge problem. Wouldn’t it be great to know how to control ants in your house? A true professional pest control team knows the best way get rid of those ants today. There’s a few points to keep in mind when you see a line of ants moving through your home. You can ignore a few ants at first but what do you do when there’s a long line of ants heading in and out of your pantry, cupboards or drawers?

Why are there ants in your house?

First things first – ants belong outside in the garden, not inside your house. Now one or two might sneak in to see if there is anything on offer in the food department. They are usually looking for sweet, sugary stuff and not a gourmet meal. If those few ants get lucky with whatever they find inside, they are straight onto the ant line letting the others know. This is where those first scout ants leave a trail of chemicals to follow from the food to the nest. The rest of the ant colony follow that trail and then continue the process and soon you have a whole line of ants trudging through your place.

Can you stop the ant invasion of your home?

If you see a horde of ants in your home, it’s easy to panic. You’re not wondering much about how they got in, you’re probably wondering how to control ants in your house and stop the army marching on. There’s a few simple things you can do to try and control the ants. The basics include;

• Ants are looking for food and water – keep any food in airtight containers and clean up any crumbs and food scraps.
• Wipe away any ant trails with something acidic like lemon or vinegar. This kills the chemical scent that the ants are following from the nest to your food.
• Ants dislike chalky materials, like baking powder or baby powder (and of course, actual chalk). You can stop them from entering your place with a line of powder.
• Strong smells like peppermint, patchouli and cedarwood essential oils or cinnamon, black pepper and mint can deter ants.

Will these steps get rid of your ant problem for good? Sadly – No. The only way to get rid of ants is to deal with the nest and the Queen, otherwise you are eliminating some of the ants but not the whole nest – so there’s every chance they will be back.

Mistakes people make in how to control ants in your house?

There are some things you shouldn’t do when you’re trying to work out how to control ants in your house.

1. Don’t use insect spray all the way through your home – this is not an efficient or effective way to deal with ants.
2. Many people try spreading salt through the house – not a good idea. It could dehydrate some ants but others will avoid the area. Then you have ants and a clean-up on your hands.
3. Wasting repellents – this is when you start killing the ants before they have made it back to the nest. Some people go to the trouble and expense of baiting the ants and then spraying them – you are killing a few and the others will not return to that spot. They will try to find another way in and look for other food sources. You’re back to square one again.
4. Placing ant baits where pets or toddlers can reach it. Make sure any baits or traps are well out of reach of children and pets.
5. Killing a hundred ants is not going to solve your ant control problem. Ants are often in much larger groups of thousands and possibly a million in total. They are more likely to be back again before long.

Remembering that ants are not a creature that lives alone. If you see a few ants then you can be sure that there are hundreds or even thousands nearby. They could very well have made a nest in the wall cavity or somewhere else that is out of sight.

When is it time to call in the professionals in ant pest control?

If you have tried a few ways in how to control ants in your house and they are not working, it’s definitely time to call in the experts. You want a down-to-earth professional pest controller who can take you through each step of how to get rid of your ant problem – not just for a day or two, but for good. That’s where Jacka Bros Pest Control are the ant control team you can trust to do the job right. You won’t get any fancy language or pushy sales stuff. You’ll only get friendly and reliable professionals who will let you know what they will do, when they’ll do it and how long until your ant problem is history. It’s good to know that you can ask any questions you have and you’ll be given straight answers. Whether it’s the best pest control for termites and ants, bed bugs, spiders, even wasps and bees, there’s only one name to remember.

Give Jacka Bros Pest Control a buzz today and you’ll be on the way to a pest-free future in no time.