How can such a small insect cause so much havoc? One little ant here and there in your Menifee home can't do too much damage, right?
Here's the scenario: you walk into your kitchen to grab a snack and find an ant doing the same thing.
Your first instinct might be to kill the one ant. However, you want to refrain from doing so. Where there's one ant, there's usually an entire colony hidden not too far from it.
Instead of acting fast, act smart. Know how to get rid of ants and when to contact pest control in Menifee.
Continue reading the guide below to learn everything you need to know about managing an ant infestation in your home.
Conduct an Inspection
Before acting, it's important to conduct a thorough inspection. You've found an ant or two, or maybe you've discovered a line of ants. You know they're in your home, but what type of ants are they?
Identifying the type of ant is important because this knowledge will help you understand the ants' behavior. Different types of ants might be attracted to different things, colonize in different ways, and travel through your home using different methods.
Once you determine what type of ants you're dealing with, you can then begin to put together a plan of action. To determine the type of ants, you'll want to use a flashlight if needed and take a picture of the ants, which you can then show to an exterminator.
Follow the Trail to Their Entry Point
If you can find the ants' entry point, then you'll know exactly how they're accessing your house. One of the easiest ways to find their point of entry is to follow their trail. If you find ants in your bathroom or kitchen, then there's most likely a line of them.
This trail will lead directly back to their colony. Follow the ant trail in your home closely. Once you find where they're coming in from, seal the entry point and erase their trails.
You may be able to use caulking to seal the entry point, depending on where it's located. To erase their trail, you can use a mixture of water and white vinegar. Spray this mixture on the areas where you see the trail.
Allow the mixture to sit for a few moments before wiping it clean and erasing the scent of the trail.
Determine What's Attracting Them
Ants don't just invade a home to cause frustration. If ants are in your home, then they're there for a reason. Now is the time to figure out why they're there.
This answer might differ from homeowner to homeowner, so do your best to find them when they're accessing what they came for. You can almost guarantee they're accessing some source of food or water. If it's the food they're after, then you want to remove all food from counters or open spaces.
You also need to seal all your food correctly. Airtight containers work amazingly to keep ants and other insects outs. If it's water they're coming for, then you'll need to check for leaks and ensure there's no access to any water.
Remember, ants are tiny and only need a tiny amount of water. A small amount of water left in the sink could be enough to attract them. Dry sinks out when done using them and close the drains.
Put Prevention Methods in Place
Removing ants from your home is one step, but it's crucial to put prevention methods in place as well. Not only do you want to remove the ants from your home, but you also want to prevent them from coming back. To do this, you need to take a quick survey of both the inside and outside of your home.
You can use natural deterrents around the inside and outside of your home. Create natural deterrent sprays that contain vinegar and a few different essential oils, such as peppermint, lemon, and tea tree. All of these oils will deter ants from the area where you use them.
You can also place ant bait in the spots where you've seen them the most active.
Maintain Your Front and Back Yard
Ants love to seek shelter under debris in your yard. If you have lots of branches, wood, or leaves around the yard, then it's ideal to clean it all up. You want to have a clean and clear yard that doesn't give ants many places to seek shelter.
Once your yard is clear, then you can easily spot ant colonies and treat them as needed.
Place Bait in High Ant Traffic Areas
Take a look at what the ants are attracted to. What types of foods are they getting into in your kitchen? Use this information to prebait them.
You can set out a few different types of food to see what they're attracted to. Once you know what they want, you can then place bait out that's geared towards the same type of taste or flavor they're desiring. You should place the bait in areas where you're used to seeing lots of ants.
They'll take the bait and bring it back to the colony, hopefully killing all of the ants.
Professional Pest Control in Menifee
Learning how to get rid of ants in your home the correct way might take some time and experience.
If you're having trouble doing so on your own, then look no further than LOCAL Bug Guy. Our professional pest control in Menifee provides quick and local services.
Contact us today for a free pest control quote.