There is a big difference between finding one ant inside your home and finding several dozen. A single ant is easy to deal with. Groups of ants, on the other hand, are nearly impossible to handle. No matter how many you squish or spray, they just keep coming back. Why does this happen? We will be answering this question for you today and providing some helpful tips and tricks to get and keep these pests out of your Los Angeles home. To request help with extensive pest infestations, reach out to us today!
How Ants Know Where To Find Food
Every ant invasion starts with a scout. The scout's job is to locate sources of food and moisture. When they discover a tasty treat, their job becomes to let their colony know it is there. To do this, they leave behind a pheromone trail and make their way back home. If you catch them before they make it back and squish them, you should be in the clear. If they make it home and alert workers that there is food nearby, you will have a serious problem on your hand.
How To Remove Pheromone Trails
Ant pheromone trails are not too difficult to clean. All you need is some warm water and soap. All-purpose cleaners also do the trick. The hard part is knowing where the trail is and dealing with the ants that have already invaded your living areas. We recommend tracking the ants to where they are entering and exiting your home. Once you have done this, spray the trail down with a chemical-based cleaner to eliminate ants and the trail at the same time.
The Difficulty In Reactive Ant Control
Sitting around and waiting for ants to invade your home so you can deal with them is no way to live. We call this reactive pest control. What you need is proactive pest control, which involves putting in place prevention tips before ants find their way indoors. We cannot stress how important this is to do, especially because many species of ants in our area are dangerous or destructive.
Some Tactics To Prevent Ants
As a homeowner, you have control over a lot of things. One thing you have control over is the factors that attract ants. To address these factors, use these prevention tips.
- Use a caulk or some liquid cement to seal off gaps, holes, and cracks in your home's exterior foundation.
- Inspect your window and door screens. Make sure they are all in good repair.
- Install door sweeps under exterior doors.
- Invest in weatherstripping for doors and windows that need it.
- Deep clean your living areas once a season and keep up with messes as they occur.
- Limit how many rooms you eat in to just one or two.
- Repair leaky faucets and broken gutters.
- Wipe down moisture in sinks and bathtubs after using them.
- Store leftover food inside airtight containers.
- Make sure your trash cans have pest-proof lids.
An Easier Approach To Ant Control
Adapting your life to prevent ants is not easy and takes constant effort. To make your life easier and prevent troublesome ants, let the experts at A Step Above Pest Control & Termite help you out. We offer thorough inspections to identify ant problems and advanced pest control solutions to get and keep these pests out of your living areas. With our friendly team at your back, you won't have to worry about annoying, dangerous, and destructive pests like ants ever again.
Contact our team now to learn more about our Los Angeles pest control services, and schedule your Los Angeles home for a visit.