There are several ant species that can enter and damage your Hartford home. Before you decide to invest in DIY products that can actually make your problem worse, here are some natural preventative tips to reduce the presence of ants in and around your home.
The Goal Of Integrated Pest Management
It is impractical to try to eliminate all ants on your property. Nor is it good for your property to attempt such an endeavor. Ants have an important job. They are beneficial in your lawn and in your garden because they help to aerate the soil. This will give you healthier plants and greener grass. The management of ants should be localized to exclusion from your home.
Inspections
It is important to do regular inspections around your property. Ant trails are a great source of information. They can show you where ants are getting into your home and give you an idea of how bad your ant problem is. If you have ants in the house, the first step is to find where they are coming in and seal it. Use that ant trail inside to find the entry point in your home and see if you can find the trail on the exterior of your home. Both sides need to be sealed.
Sanitation
Proper protection of food sources is necessary to deter all species of ant, and a regular sanitation program is part of this. Though it is important to keep sensitive food items in plastic containers and have fully sealable trash cans, the prime target of ants are the food sources we leave out: crumbs around the toaster, food left on dirty plates, pet food in a dish, ketchup on the counter, etc.
Baits and Insecticides
When your exterior walls are sealed and all the food sources are cleaned up and protected, you will notice a significant reduction of interior ants, but it is sometimes necessary to treat. This is a job you should leave to the professionals. Not only can poisons be dangerous for you, your kids, and your pets, they can also make your problem worse. An improper application of baits or insecticides can result in a colony splitting into two.
Practice good sanitation and proper sealing methods for your exterior and basement walls to exclude ants from your Hartford home. And, if necessary, call the Hartford pest control pros at American Pest Solutions to give you a hand.