Washington D.C.'s Complete Guide To Odorous House Ant Control
09/03/2021
If ants are making their way around your Washington D.C. home, they can bring a variety of problems to you and your family. However, if it’s ...
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It is that time of year again: the time of year when ants, many many species of ants, are becoming active and looking for food, water, and even sources of shelter. At American Pest, we believe that now is the perfect time for homeowners to survey their property and make some changes to help deter ants and avoid an infestation inside of their homes. There are many valuable prevention tips out there, but we are going to go over the big three. The following three prevention tips will go a long way in helping to keep any species of ant outside of your home, where they belong!
The first prevention tip from our pest professionals is to inspect the outside of your home. If there are plants, trees, or grass coming into close or direct contact with your home, they should be removed or trimmed back. Ants use grasses, branches, and plants as their own personal highway system, with the end of their route being direct access into your home! Trimming back trees and plants from your home and creating a barrier between any grass and your home’s foundation helps to limit the amount of “easy” access that they have into your home.
The second prevention tip we think is very helpful in order to win the fight against foraging ants is to complete a thorough inspection of the exterior of your home’s structure. This step is very important because as we all know ants are small and they will take advantage of any small crack or crevice found. Cracks and crevices that are found (no matter how tiny) should be immediately sealed. Remember to also inspect the hard to reach areas of your foundation like underneath decks and porches! Inspect exterior doors and windows, caulking any spaces found around them; and install door sweeps underneath all exterior doors, especially ground level doors or basement doors.
The third prevention tip that we believe is important to complete is to limit their food sources. Access to food is usually why ants are attracted to properties and why they want to enter homes. If you plant vegetable or fruit gardens, make sure to place them as far away from the outside of your home as possible and regularly pick-up and remove fallen fruits and veggies. Garbage that is being stored outside until trash pick-up day should always be kept inside plastic or metal containers that have tight fitting lids. While it is tempting to keep trash cans right outside your door for convenience, it is a good idea to place them a distance away from the exterior of your home so they aren't bringing ants right to your backdoor!
In addition to the above prevention tips, the best prevention tip that our American Pest professionals have to offer is to put in place a year-round pest control program. Year-round pest control means that you will no longer have to wonder if ants are going to get into your home this year, because they won’t! Through our Preferred Care program, we can control and eliminate ants along with 30 other common household pests. By working together we can ensure that your home will be protected against pesky and invading ants all year long!
