How to Prevent Ant Infestation
You probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that ants are some of the most common household pests throughout the world. Frustrated homeowners know that ants always seem to reappear, over and over again, no matter how many are killed. Ant problems make up a large percentage of the calls made to pest control companies. Hiring a professional from GTA Toronto Pest Control is a valuable part of your ant control in Toronto, and now we want to help you learn some of the other things you can do to get rid of ants.
Ant Prevention
Like most pest problems, ant control must begin with prevention efforts. Ant prevention needs to take place both inside and outside of your home for it to be effective. It must also focus on eliminating the three things that will attract ants to your home: food, water, and shelter.
Tips on Keeping Ants Away
Here are some simple tips to keep the ants away:
- Keep your home as clean as possible
- Sweep and vacuum floors regularly to get rid of crumbs
- Wipe down kitchen surfaces, especially counters and tables
- Don’t leave dishes in the sink for any longer than necessary
- Take out the trash frequently
- Store food properly and keep containers sealed
- Get rid of excess moisture around your home
- Fix leaky pipes and faucets
- Unclog gutters and downspouts
- Fix drainage problems in your yard
- Use a dehumidifier for your home, if necessary
- Seal the exterior of your home by filling all cracks and crevices with caulk or expandable spray foam
- Make sure window and door screens are intact
- Repair or replace weatherstripping
Chemical Control Solutions for Ants
Prevention efforts are extremely important, but they are not always fail proof. If you find that you have ants in your home after following the prevention tips, there are things that you can do to get them under control again.
Before you start with your chosen control method, it is important to understand a little about ant behavior. Ants are social creatures that live together in colonies. Different types of ants do specific jobs within the colony. Worker ants are responsible for gathering the food and bringing it back to the colony. The long lines of ants that you see marching through your kitchen are worker ants. You may use a contact spray to kill these ants, but without fail, the stream of ants will come right back. This is because ants leave behind pheromone trails telling the rest of the ants where to find food. These scent trails will make it so that more ants from the colony will pick up where the other ones left off. All the while, the queen ant will remain in the nest, producing new ants faster than you can kill them off. Good ant control focuses on getting to the source and killing the colony from the inside out.
Ant Baits
For many species of ants, baits are the go-to method of ant control. When you have identified the ant trails in your home, place bait stations along the routes. The worker ants will find the bait and carry it back to the nest to feed the rest of the colony and the queen (or queens). Once the queen ants are dead, the colony will not survive for long. When label directions are followed, ant baits are safe to use around children and pets, and are generally very effective. After the ants have been controlled, wipe down the areas where the ant trails were so that they will not attract more.
Residual Insecticides
Another very effective form of ant control is non-repellent residual insecticides. The insecticide can be sprayed around the entire perimeter of your home and will form a barrier that can last for several months. This perimeter treatment works great against ants, but will also work for many other types of insects as well. Professional pest control technicians are licensed and certified to be able to properly use this kind of chemical control. They also have access to the best products and application methods.
Pest Control in Toronto
If you are struggling with ants or need to eliminate unwanted pests in Toronto, GTA Toronto Pest Control can help solve the problem. We use eco-friendly pest control and are so confident in our services that we offer a 100% money back guarantee. Contact us today for more information.
