Winning the War Against Ants Part 1

Ant-a-lytics

This is something that we should all store away because ultimately we will all end up having to use this information.

When ants show up, it is usually going to involve a campaign to get rid of them. They just don’t show up; they come as a result of the conducive conditions that exist in a home. Homeowners and renters, even people taking an Airbnb for the weekend should know how to get rid of the ants.

Three things that attract ants: food, water and shelter. Each one of these factors becomes imperative in order to launch a successful campaign against these critters.

When They Come
When you see one or two ants, automatically assume there’s about a hundred more behind them. They don’t just show up, they leave little trails for their friends to follow them to the places they discover. The things they leave behind are called pheromones. Any successful war against ants is going to involve the elimination of these bio-tracks that they leave behind. 

There are 3 major kinds of ants:

Carpenter ants – These are the larger kind of black or dark brown ants that invade a home. They possess a ravenous thirst for water. They also are quite cantankerous and even nasty. Are you in a home where there is rotten wood that is giving them the kind of environment that they thrive in. Oftentimes carpenter ants live in rotten wood, which is where they derive their name, and they usually are found in areas where there are structural problems in a home.

Odorous ants – These are the kind of insects that find their way into your food cabinets and kitchen counters. They have a sweet tooth, so to speak, because of their passion for cookies and cake. Another thing about them is that they smell when they are squished. 

Pavement ants – They eat just about anything. All kinds of foods, even seeds and other insects.

Getting Rid of Ants 
First: Start on the outside. Trim away all excess foliage that surrounds the home. Clean away any debris or decomposing leaves and branches. There are solutions that you can make to spray around the area, but we will get to these later. 

Look for Access Points
Investigate the areas around the perimeter of your home and close them off. Seal all the points of access around your house. This includes all the cracks, windows areas, sills, doorways, floors, pipe areas, and fill them with caulking.