Have you been struggling with ants in your home for a long time?
Do they seem to be nowhere and everywhere at once? Have you tried to search for the trails, but you can’t figure out where ants are coming from?
Ants can be very troublesome. They will come from nowhere and exploit every housekeeping mistake you make. They will crawl across any countertop, circle even a single drop of spilled soda and explore the sink.
If you have ants in the kitchen and can’t track where ants are coming from, you are in luck. We shall talk about various ways ants can get into your house and how to know where ants are coming from.
By understanding how these insects find their way inside will be the first step to managing ant infestation.
How to tell where ants are coming from?
#1. Seams and wall cracks
Just like termites, ants can easily squeeze themselves through an unpatched gap on your wall.
To make matters worse, they leave pheromones behind to make it easy for other ants to keep using the same route unless you get rid of the trail.
Concrete, plaster, and wood can crack and give way over time. Ensure you look for such cracks or seams on the walls of your house and seal them completely.
Also use repellants by putting them close to an ant entryway, even though this is a temporary solution.
#2. Born and bred in the house
Sometimes we look for sources of problems without knowing that we might be closer to the source than we imagine. Even before you can consider other entryways, note that some ants may have been born in your house.
You may be facing a tough infestation caused by a pre-existing colony that has been in your house for weeks, months or years. Perhaps you have been even a host to numerous ant generations without knowing it.
#3. The floor
Did you construct your home by yourself? Do you remember how the local pest control expert advised about ensuring you have a barrier to your home’s foundation?
This is what he or she was trying to prevent.
Homeowners who chose to have this barrier are safe. However, if you didn’t follow this advice, ants and termites can access your house via concrete cracks in the basement.
No matter how little these cracks are, they offer these insects enough space to enter your home.
It’s okay to ask a professional to check any irregularities on your floor, but the best way to handle this problem is by setting up a foundation that is impenetrable while constructing your home.
#4. Cable and utility lines
Did you know that ants are smart enough to use cable wires to get into your home?
Well, ants are not only agile but also resourceful creatures. Ants are capable of climbing almost anything including the pipes and wires leading into your residence.
Cables, electric among other utility lines are a free ticket into your house.
The lines access your homes via holes so immediately some ants trace them, they are bound to find enough space to fit. You can’t do much about this, but an expert can look into the problem.
#5. Doors and windows
You require openings like doors and windows to let sunlight and fresh air into your house, but ants invite themselves in. A lot of pests we find in our homes enter through doors and windows.
Other than being open always, these entries have small gaps in between them and the walls they have been attached to. What’s more, you can’t always leave the doors or windows closed for good.
Window and door frames are can also be attacked by ants.
If installed unsystematically, these frames can have tiny openings insects can utilize to enter your home. Frames are also susceptible to moisture, rot and plant branches which carry insects like ants with them.
Ensure you coat your windows and doors with protective finishes to keep rot and moisture out. Seal the openings and seams with caulk.
Finally, ensure all branches and bushes which are close to doors or windows are trimmed because they are bridges insects use to access the house
#6. Different things brought in the home
Lastly, everything you bring into your house matters. For instance, when you let out your plants so that they can get the sun, they can host ants.
The same thing applies to the toys your kids leave outside and then you get them into the house without inspecting them.
Fortunately, not all ants live inside houses. Most of them just rely on your humble abode to hunt. However, this does not mean you should welcome the insects with open arms.
Ways for keeping ants away
Now that you have an answer to where ants come from, its time you knew how you could fight these invaders. Consider trying some of these control tips to fight against these pests.
#1. Excluding the ants
Silicon-based caulk can be used to seal up any gaps or cracks that let pest into the home. The caulking efforts need to be around windows, baseboards, utility lines including other spaces you can seal.
Immediately you close off these areas you can treat them with an ant killer spray for extra protection. Indoor and outdoor sprays can kill on contact and offer killing power for up to several weeks.
#2. Clean up
Your countertops, stovetop, and floor should always be kept clean of food debris which entices ants to visit. Pet bowls and trash cans should always be clean of any food particles, crumbs or grease.
#3. Get rid of moisture
Other than food, patrolling ants also hunt for water sources and moisture might just be what they need.
Consider fixing leaky pipes, clogged drains, and dripping faucets. When you eliminate this attraction, ants won’t have a reason to come into your home.
Have you figured out the answer to “ants in bathroom can’t find source?”
You should not struggle with ants anymore, wondering where they come from or how you can eradicate them. Hopefully, these tips we have discussed will provide the guidance you require.