Pests include all types of pesky critters such as spiders, rodents, and insects. Some of the more commonly reported ones are ants. Ants seem to always be everywhere you live. You can find them outside in your yard, inside close to garbage cans, and even in places you don’t think they’d be in, like in the bathroom.
Yet, they always seem to congregate around one major area of your home. That area is your kitchen. Your kitchen has everything that an ant needs to survive and thrive.
The Most Persistent Pest in a Home
Ants are one of the most persistent pests in a home it seems. As soon as you start seeing them in your home, it seems almost impossible to get rid of them.
At first, you might see maybe just a few ants crawling around your house and you might not be too worried. This can be a potentially alarming site though as it can signify that you may have a problem brewing in your home.
You can go from seeing maybe 4 or 5 ants crawling around to seeing a large group of them following in a single line. This is usually the moment people realize they have a serious situation on their hands. The key thing to do is to identify where exactly they are coming from, and how to reduce the amount of them in the house.
As the homeowner, you have to check any part of your home where the ants may be hiding out, or where they may be coming in through. One of the most likely areas that you may see ants are in your kitchen. Why the kitchen you ask?
Why Ants Love Your Kitchen
During the spring and summer times, ants are at their most active and are constantly looking for sources of food and water. That is why your kitchen is such an enticing option for them to thrive in. All they need is a way inside and they will be more than happy to invade your kitchen space. Some reasons why ants love your kitchen are:
The Ease of Obtaining Food
Ants love that your kitchen has everything they need to survive without having to really struggle like in the wild. Instead of fighting against other insects for food sources, they have access to crumbs galore. Any spilled liquids will also be very appealing to them.
They Can Access Food in Hard-to-Reach Places
Even food and liquids that are kept in higher places can still be accessible to those ants. They can climb up the corners of certain surfaces to reach food. This is why it is important that your containers are sealed to keep these pests out. Everyone has had the unpleasant experience of finding ants in your jar of jelly or honey. Don’t make the same mistake again.
One thing to keep in mind is that even if you seemingly have cleaned up your home to make it free of any spilled foods or liquids, that ants may still thrive with it all cleaned up. The reason for this is that ants can make even a small amount of food last for a long time.
It Acts as a Water Source
Another reason ants love your kitchen is that any leaky pipes under your sink means that there is a water source for them. Ants are attracted to water just as much as they are attracted to food. So any leaky pipes under your kitchen sink or dishwasher must be addressed as soon as possible. Make sure those leaks are fixed and sealed to prevent any more ants from coming into your home.
Pets Can Leave Them Leftovers
Unfortunately, even our pets can be a reason why ants invade your kitchen. If you have a food bowl set in your kitchen, then their bowls are another thing to worry about. Ants will eat just about anything. Any uneaten pet food must be discarded and thrown away to prevent ants from wanting to come into your home and stay.
Let Professionals Control Your Ant Problem
If you are currently experiencing an ant problem, don’t worry. Many pest control professionals offer services to control ant problems. Ants don’t have to be another problem that you have to live with. All it might take is having a pest professional to inspect your home and treat the problem.
A pest control professional will inspect your home to identify what type of ant is invading your home. This identification is done to see what type of methods and tools need to be used to treat the ant problem.
Once the ant has been identified, the pest control professional will look for any potential access points into your home. Identifying these access points can help you seal them off to prevent any further intruders from entering your home.
Once all access points have been identified and sealed, the pest control professional will, if not done so already, tell you to make sure all crumbs, liquids, and trash are picked up from the ground. Also, make sure to place any food and liquids in hard to reach places to prevent ants from reaching them
Finally, the pest control professional will start performing the treatment based on what ant is roaming inside of your home. This process will take time to control the ant population to the point where your home is fully rid of them.
Hiring a pest professional to help control your ant problem may be just the solution you need to finally be rid of them. If you start noticing ants in your home and kitchen, don’t hesitate to give a professional a call. Meers Pest is always available to help you control your pest problem!
