Ants at a picnic are bad. But ants marching through your kitchen? Even worse.
Spotting one might not seem like a big deal, but where there’s one, there’s usually an army. These colony-loving pests don’t waste time. Without the right prevention, they can take over your home faster than you think.
There are several types of ants in Northeast Pennsylvania, but they all share the common attraction to sugar, food scraps, and waste, which inevitably draws them to kitchens.
While it is recommended that you contact an ant control expert for overwhelming invasions, homeowners can also take several DIY measures to stop ants in their tracks.
Here are nine ways to stop ants in your house and signs that it may be time to call in for backup from your trusted exterminator.
Common Types of Ants in Northeast Pennsylvania
While all ants may look similar at first glance, not all ant infestations are created equal. In Northeast Pennsylvania, a few species are more likely to invade homes and cause trouble:
- Carpenter Ants: These large, black ants are particularly destructive, tunneling through wood to build their nests. Over time, they can cause significant structural damage.
- Odorous House Ants: Named for the foul smell they emit when crushed, these small brown ants are drawn to sweet foods and commonly invade kitchens.
- Pavement Ants: Often found nesting under concrete, sidewalks, or foundations, these ants can invade homes in search of food and shelter, quickly overwhelming you.
- Pharaoh Ants: Small and yellowish, these ants are known for forming massive colonies and are difficult to eliminate without professional help.
There are several additional species of ants, from small black ants to large black ants that can form massive colonies inside your walls or foundation and make their way into your kitchen.
What Attracts Ants to Homes
Ants are constantly on the hunt for three basic essentials: food, water, and shelter. Even the tiniest crumbs or a leaky pipe can attract an entire colony if not controlled in time. Here are the most common attractants of ants to NEPA homes:
- Accessible Food: Sugary substances, crumbs, grease, pet food, and even trash can lure ants indoors.
- Moisture: Leaky pipes, standing water, wet sponges, and plant trays offer ants the hydration they need.
- Warmth and Shelter: During cooler months or heavy rain, ants may seek refuge inside your walls, baseboards, and floors.
- Clutter: Excess clutter in garages, basements, or yards can give ants ideal nesting spots.
The more attractive your home is to ants, the more likely they will move in. Once inside, you may find that getting rid of ants is much harder than you think.
9 Easy Tips to Stop Ants in Your Home
The key to getting rid of ants is stopping them before they come in. While baits and traps may help reduce the number of ants inside your home, they may stop a colony altogether. Therefore, prevention is always the best practice when dealing with common ants in NEPA.
1. Close off Entry Points
The best way to stop an ant invasion is by keeping them out of your home at the start. Perform regular maintenance on your home by checking for any possible entryways for any manner of pest.
Windows, foundation, doors, and vents are all easy access points that ants can easily sneak through. Seal any cracks or holes with a screen or caulking. If you’ve already found ants inside your home, play detective.
Follow their trail to their entry point; see where they are getting in so you can repair it and keep them out.
2. Close the Buffet
Ants usually stick around when they’ve discovered a good food source. Of course, that could mean your pantry. Don’t give them a reason to stick around. Keep your food sealed in containers and put it away.
When you serve meals, keep them in one area of the house and clean them thoroughly after meals. Don’t leave food out; this includes pet food and waste bins.
While you don’t need to take the garbage out every night, you should have it in a sealed container. If the ants can’t find food, they won’t return.
3. Tidy Up
In addition to keeping food put away, if you want ants gone, keeping the house as tidy as possible is a good idea. Even at our best, leaving some crumbs behind after meals is still possible.
Get into the habit of cleaning regularly and vacuuming to keep residue at a minimum. Appliances can often have leftover bits hiding on or under them; sometimes, those open snack bags can leave a little behind.
Clean under and around these spots frequently, as the tiniest bit of food could serve as a treat for a colony.
4. Watch the Water
Much like food, ants need a water source, and leaking pipes are perfect for ants. Of course, your pipes aren’t the only place these pests are searching.
Any wet towels, rags, or sponges left out can be prime sources of water. Pet dishes and appliance drip trays are also unexpected water sources.
If you want to keep ants out, dry these areas and clear up any watering holes for these unwanted guests.
5. Tidy up the Yard
If you want to keep ants out of your home, make sure they aren’t lurking around on the outside either. Ensure your trash is covered and eliminate any stagnant water, especially near the house or in gutters.
Maintain your yard by keeping the overgrowth under control and the grass cut. If you have wood, keep it stored at least 20 feet away from the house. A clean yard is less enticing for ant invaders.
6. Set Ant Baits
If ants have made their way inside, don’t worry just yet. You can stop this invasion at the source using ant bait. Ant baits are an effective way to get rid of your ant problem while keeping your house clean and spray-free.
With ant baits, the exploring ants will enter the trap, take the food and bring it back to the colony. Little do these pests know, the food is a poison meant to wipe out the entire colony.
All you need to do is place it where the ants will find it and you don’t have to worry about handling any chemicals at all.
7. Natural Remedies
If you want to avoid traps altogether, you can try a more natural approach with diatomaceous earth. This effective powder can be sprinkled on your window or any other entryway where ants may lurk.
This will dry out the insect’s exoskeleton, and it will die. While this may take care of any ants trying to enter your home, it won’t kill the colony.
8. Make the Trail Vanish
Once an ant has entered, it will leave a trail of pheromones so that it may return easily to raid your pantry. Unfortunately, this trail isn’t something that you can see easily; regardless, you need to get rid of the trail to keep these little pests from coming back.
Use strong-smelling products like vinegar to clean your home, especially in areas where you see ants congregating. While the vinegar won’t kill ants, the smell will deter them.
9. Take the Fight Outdoors
If you’ve spotted quite a few ant nests around your property, you may want to take precautions to stop them from getting into your home. An easy way to eliminate them is by boiling water and pouring it on the anthill.
This will not only kill ants, but it will also collapse the colony. The bigger the anthill, the more water you need to use. Just be careful when doing so.
Calling in Reinforcements
Spotting one or two ants should warrant a visit from the exterminator, especially when these simple tips can help stop the problem before it starts. However, your ant problem is much larger than you anticipated.
Depending on the type of ant, your home could experience significant damage, especially with carpenter ants. You don’t have to go it alone. A trusted pest control expert can help you put an end to your pest problem.
FAQs
Are ants dangerous?
While most ants are a nuisance, some, like carpenter ants, can cause structural damage. Others, like pharaoh ants, can contaminate food and spread bacteria.
Do natural remedies really work for ants?
Natural remedies like vinegar, diatomaceous earth, and essential oils can help deter ants or kill a few, but they rarely eliminate the entire colony.
When should I call a pest control professional?
If you see frequent ant activity, can’t locate or eliminate the nest, or suspect carpenter ants, it’s time to call a professional.
