Do you know that you can keep ants out of your Denver home without using a single pest control product? Yup. The secret lies in understanding why ants come into your home. The more you understand about "why" ants get in, the more success you'll have in keeping them out.
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Your Perimeter
Around your home is a region called the perimeter. This is an important zone to consider. If there are conducive conditions in this zone, you can invite ants to create colonies near your home or, at the very least, make them want to spend lots of time exploring your exterior.
The more ants you have exploring your exterior, the more likely you're going to have ant problems inside your home. Makes sense, right? Here are a few ways you can deter ant activity:
Prevent Honeydew
Most ant species are drawn to the sweet taste of honeydew. This is a substance created by aphids, whiteflies, and scale insects. If you have plant decay, you're likely to have problems with these insects (and their sweet honeydew). Keep your plants healthy to deter aphids and other honeydew-producing insects.
Reduce Insects
Ants eat insects, both alive and dead. If you reduce insect populations near your home, you'll have fewer issues with ants. One helpful tip for reducing insects is to replace white, exterior lighting with yellow lights. Light in the yellow spectrum is less attractive to insects.
Manage Trash
Keep your bagged trash in covered containers, and keep the containers free of strong odors.
Remove Leaves, Wood & Sticks
Many ants are drawn to organic debris. When you do your best to keep your perimeter free of organic clutter, it can have a big impact.
Reduce Moisture
A moist perimeter will attract insects and invertebrates. Keep your gutters clear and in good working condition. Trim dense areas of vegetation, remove weeds, and get rid of grass in your landscaping. All of this can work to keep your perimeter dry.
Your Exterior & Foundation
Ultimately, ants get inside because they can. While it is impossible to seal the exterior of your home adequately enough to prevent ants from getting in, it is possible to deter ants significantly by addressing the entry points you're able to address.
- Doors - Replace doorsweeps and weatherstripping that have damage or that offer gaps. Use a caulking gun to fill in damaged wood frames or gaps around frames.
- Windows - Repair damaged screens and seal any gaps in your window frames.
- Foundation - Repair cracks and fill in gaps around pipes and wire conduits.
- Wood - Replace rotting wood or fill holes with caulking material as a temporary patch.
- Landscaping - If you have bushes, shrubs, or plants that touch your exterior walls, these can act as bridges to allow ants to easily access higher locations on your exterior. Trim these to remove this easy access.
Interior Ant Management
When an ant gets into your home, it has the potential to go outside and recruit a thousand of its family members to come inside. This is because ants lay down a pheromone trail when they return to the nest after finding food. You can prevent this by making it more difficult for ants to find food. Here are a few suggestions.
- Clean, and deep clean. Ants aren't picky. They'll eat stuff off your floor and feed on the grease that is stuck to the sides of your oven.
- Clean spills up immediately. Some ant species are strongly attracted to fermenting juices.
- Put dirty dishes in a sink filled with soapy water. A dollop of ketchup is more than enough food for many ants.
- Store foods in sealed containers.
- Place food down for your pets at mealtimes and then pick the food up afterward.
- Consider making it a rule that your family only eats in the dining room or kitchen. This prevents food sources from being available throughout your home.
Prevent Interior Ant Nests
When ants explore your home, some ant species may decide to create a nest. One condition that can inspire ants to create an interior nest is the presence of a moisture source. Repair indoor plumbing issues, such as:
- Leaky faucets
- Leaky pipes
- A weeping garbage disposal
When Targeted Ant Control Is Needed
If you have high ant pressures or it is too difficult to address conditions that attract ants and allow them into your home, ant control products may need to be deployed. It is best to have these selected and administered by a licensed professional. We have a few of those on staff here at Absolute Pest Control.
If you need assistance, we'd love the opportunity to help. Reach out to us and schedule a free inspection to get started. We look forward to helping you find the right pest control solution for your specific needs and budget. We also offer quality commercial pest management services.
Awesome service and results. I live in rural parker. If you want to get rid of bugs and mice they know how to do it. The owner came out personally to give a quote. He knew exactly what to do. I highly recommend this company.
