When you’re thinking about your home décor options, you want to make sure you’re avoiding ants first. Even if you have the most beautiful home on the market, it’s important to know that ants can still invade. What do you need to know about ants in the house? Here’s a quick overview of the things you should know the most.
Ant Facts
It might surprise you if you thought that there were only a few types of ants, but there are actually more than 700 kinds of ants in the United States. Plus, millions of ants can live in a single colony, which is probably why you see so many ants whenever you have an infestation.
The good thing to know is that ants need a method of getting inside your home. Pavement ants tend to burrow in concrete cracks, while fire ants often enter through cracked foundations and walls. They only need a very small crack, which is why it’s so easy for them to enter.
The Most Common Places for Ants to Hide
Where will ants usually hide inside your home? Here are the top three places you’ll usually see ants inside your home.
- Kitchens
If you’ve ever had an ant infestation, there’s a good chance it was in your kitchen. Kitchens are the most common places for people to find ants because there’s so much food and there’s typically a decent amount of water. Ants can wreak a lot of havoc in a kitchen, because you definitely don’t want to use any food that ants have eaten from.
- Bathrooms
Kitchens are of course the biggest source of food for ants, but bathrooms are a great water source for ants. Of course, ants need water as much as humans do, but even a small puddle or drop can be a great water source for ants. It’s also tough to get rid of the water source in the bathroom because it’s so crucial to the bathroom’s function.
- Basements
Do you have cracks in your home’s foundation? Even if you’re not aware of it, there’s a pretty decent chance you have even very small cracks. These tiny cracks are a great entry point for ants. Ants only need a very small entry point to start invading your home, and they can burrow through the ground, which means they can even get through underground foundations.
Avoiding Ants in Your Home
So, with all this information, what can you do to avoid ants coming into your home? The good news is that there are a number of steps you can take to keep ants out of your home if you’re not currently dealing with an infestation. Consider these useful tips:
- Seal cracks and holes in walls
- Make sure windows and doors seal tightly
- Caulk around air conditioning and heating units
- Fix leaky pipes and faucets
- Wipe down kitchen counters
- Put food in airtight containers
- Empty trash frequently directly to the garbage
- Don’t overwater your indoor plants
- Use vinegar anywhere you see ants
- Stack firewood more than 20 feet away from the home
- Repair cracked pavement and foundations
These are all useful tips and tricks you can use to keep ants out of your home. If you already have an ant infestation, you may be able to contact a pest expert to remove your ants, then institute these recommendations once they’re gone.
Conclusion
Ants can be a frustrating scourge to deal with. It’s true that ants can ruin an otherwise gorgeous home décor job, but you don’t just have to handle ants and assume that’s how your home is now. Whether it’s by fixing leaky faucets, transferring food to airtight containers, or repairing cracks in concrete, you can get rid of ants in your home and restore it to its former glory.
