There are many ants that commonly get into our Springfield homes during the summer months, and those summer ants bring summer problems. The secret to not having ant problems is to not have ants; while that might sound simplistic, it is truer than you can possibly imagine.
The reason ants get into homes is actually a proximity issue. Those ants don't know you have food inside your home; they didn't hear about it on the internet and decide to move into your yard, with the hopes of one day getting into your home. They get into your home by accident, and the more ants you have crawling outside of your home, the more chance you'll have of ants infesting your home.
When it comes to prepping your home against ants, there are two types of prevention to be considered. One is focused on keeping ants out; the other focuses on reducing ant populations.
Keeping ants out
Pavement ants, as well as some other nuisance ants, find many common entry points to invade your home, including the following:
- They enter through cracks in foundation walls or chipped mortar.
- They enter through gaps around pipes or wire conduit.
- They crawl through gaps in door weatherstripping or under doorsweeps.
- They exploit tiny holes in the seals around the outside of window and door frames.
Seal or fix these vulnerabilities to keep pavement ants out, as these ants don't have the ability to chew their way into homes like carpenter ants can; carpenter ants, however, require different tactics. Preventing carpenter ants from getting into your home has more to do with controlling moisture around your home, as damp wood turns to rotted wood, and rotted wood is highly attractive to invading carpenter ants. Address any conditions that promote moisture in your yard, such as obstructed gutters.
Reducing ant populations
It is extremely difficult to seal a home up enough to keep ants out, so the above tips will only be beneficial to a point. If you want the best chance of not having an ant infestation, the solution is colony removal; this should be left to a licensed professional. A professional knows how to properly identify pest ants, how to locate colonies, and what baits will be effective for colony destruction.
Are you dealing with ants, or would you like to not have to deal with ants? We have the solution! American Pest Solutions offers both one-time and ongoing pest control services in Springfield. There is no better way to prep your Springfield home against summer ant threats. To schedule an appointment with one of our experts, contact American Pest Solutions today!