Spring and summer bring warmer weather — and ant season. As temperatures rise, ants become more active and start foraging for food and water, which often leads them straight into homes. The good news: a few simple steps can significantly reduce your risk of an ant invasion.
1. Eliminate Food Sources
Ants are foragers. They’re drawn to anything edible — crumbs, spills, open containers, pet food left out overnight, and even small amounts of residue on dishes. Keep your kitchen clean:
- Wipe down counters and stovetops after cooking
- Store food in sealed containers, not bags or open boxes
- Clean up pet food and water bowls daily
- Empty trash cans regularly and use bins with tight-fitting lids
- Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight
2. Eliminate Moisture
Ants need water. Leaky pipes, condensation, and standing water are all attractive to them. Check under sinks for moisture, fix dripping faucets, and make sure downspouts direct water away from your foundation.
3. Seal Entry Points
Ants can enter through cracks as small as 1/16 of an inch. Walk around the exterior of your home and seal any gaps around:
- Doors and windows (check weatherstripping and door sweeps)
- Utility lines where pipes and wires enter the home
- Foundation cracks
- Where siding meets the foundation
Caulk and expanding foam are effective for most cracks. Replace damaged door sweeps and weatherstripping.
4. Manage Your Yard
Your yard is often where ant colonies establish themselves before moving into your home. Reduce harborage areas by:
- Keeping mulch away from your foundation (6+ inches)
- Removing decaying wood, stumps, and leaf piles
- Trimming shrubs and tree branches that touch the house
- Keeping firewood stored away from the exterior
5. Know When to Call a Professional
If you’re seeing ants inside your home regularly — especially trails along walls or in multiple rooms — prevention measures alone may not be enough. By the time you’re seeing large numbers of ants indoors, there’s likely an established colony nearby.
Different ant species respond to different treatments. Carpenter ants, for example, nest in wood and require a very different approach than pavement ants or odorous house ants. Misidentifying the species and using the wrong product can scatter the colony and make the problem worse.
At Rid-R-Bug, we start with species identification before applying any treatment. If ants are giving you trouble, contact us and we’ll find the root cause and eliminate it.