Ants are the smallest common pest, but in many ways, they are the most dangerous. When ants infest your home, you need to take immediate action. Here are some of the best tips to keep those ants at bay!
Flying Pests
Pay attention to the different signs that you may have an infestation of ants in your home. Just because you see a random ant in your home does not mean that you have an infestation, although you may be looking at a scout that forages ahead for the colony. An infestation will usually show up in the form of a trail. Clean up your home, especially food that might be lying around. However, if you see flying ants coming out of your walls, you have moved beyond the scouting stage. Flying ants are not the average worker, and when they fly out of the walls, this means the ants have burrowed into your infrastructure.
Infrastructure Destruction
If you see unexplained wood shavings or paint chippings out of your walls, then you may have an ant infestation. Certain types of ants burrow into your walls, causing destruction as they move in.
What to Do About an Ant Infestation
Although you may need a professional for serious infestations, you may be able to handle some of them yourself. Here are some DIY tips.
Control
If you see a trail of ants, follow it to its source, which will likely start outside of the home. Caulk the opening that you see the ants coming through. If you do not have caulk, use petroleum jelly. Vacuum up all of the ants that you can. After you clear a path, mix a solution of three parts over the counter dish soap and one part water. Put it in a spray bottle and spray the trail, eliminating the scent for other ants to follow.
A mixture of lemon juice and vinegar will keep a formerly infested area from becoming infested again. You can follow up with some peppermint or spearmint oil. Make sure to spray the floor and the surrounding baseboard as well as the trail.
Do not wait until your ant problem becomes so serious that you have to call emergency services. Do something today! For reliable Phoenix ant control, trust Preventive Pest Control. Call us today!