5 Tips To Keep Ants Out Of Your Kitchen

Winter is the time of year when some pests enjoy digging themselves a little deeper into the ground than normal, slowing down, and taking a nice long nap. They will reappear when the weather warms up in spring. Other pests remain active throughout the year, which means they can cause problems all year long. If you’ve noticed ants in your home even though it’s winter, you probably want to know how to prevent them.

Here are five tips to keep ants out of your kitchen:

• Keep your yard tidy. Ant prevention starts outside. Remove yard debris, such as lawn clippings, branches, and leaf matter. Keep your grass trimmed. Consider replacing any mulch you use in your landscaping with crushed stone instead.
• Close off entry points. Ants are small and can fit through the tiniest of cracks. It makes sense to seal up as many as you can find to reduce the chance of them finding their way inside. Check around your foundation for cracks and seal the ones you find. Gaps around doors and windows are a favorite way for ants to get inside. Tears or holes in a screen can also allow them access to your home.
• Clean up spills and put food away. Like most humans, most common ants are quite fond of anything sugary. If you have even a small spill that you fail to clean up, they will find it. The same goes for any food you leave out. Whether it’s fruit on the counter or sugar left in its paper bag, ants will find it. In order to dissuade ants from entering and remaining in your house, you must remove their food sources. Make sure to clean all spills immediately and don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink. Wipe down your counters after every meal. Keep food stored in the refrigerator or in air-tight containers.
• Eliminate moisture. While most ants are simply a nuisance, there are some that are quite destructive. Carpenter ants can go undetected for months, or even years. Once they get into your home, they chew through the wood structures in your home, causing a huge amount of damage. Carpenter ants are especially attracted to your house if you have water-damaged wood structures in or around it. It’s important to reduce moisture and humidity as much as possible. Eliminate standing water outside your home, and replace any water-damaged wood. Repair leaking taps and pipes. Allow good ventilation throughout your home, and use dehumidifiers in the more humid rooms of your house.
• Call the professionals. If you find ants in your home, the best way to get rid of them is to get professional help. Russell’s Pest Control has the experience necessary to identify the type of ant you’re dealing with, figure out how they’re getting in, and understand what the best course of action is to eliminate them.

Ants don’t have to be a winter problem. Keep them out of your kitchen this year with the help of Russell’s Pest Control.