Common Causes of Ant Problems
Tiny, agile ants can enter a home through nearly invisible cracks in the walls, foundation, and siding. If you notice ants anywhere inside your house, call a pest exterminator near Crystal Lake as soon as possible. Simply killing the visible ants will not be enough to solve your infestation problem. Integrated pest management requires you to eliminate the causes of the infestation so that your pest control treatment will be more effective. Common causes of ant problems include:
Leaving Food on the Counter
Like many creatures, ants are drawn to food by their sense of smell. Uncovered plates of cookies, cake, and other sweets left on the counter are ant magnets and can attract them even when your house seems totally closed up. Don’t leave food uncovered on the counter overnight, and clean up all spills and crumbs regularly to avoid attracting ants. Also, remember to sweep out the area between kitchen counters and appliances to remove stray crumbs
Letting Landscaping Get Too Wild
In order to climb from their underground colonies or anthills into your home, ants can use vegetation such as bushes and other landscaping features. When the leaves or branches touch the exterior walls of your home, they provide convenient bridges for ants to use to find cracks in the siding where they can enter. Keep your hedges tidy to minimize this, or you might have to call an exterminator to help end your ant problem and eliminate the entire colony.
Allowing Food Waste to Build Up Under Appliances
In the course of regular cooking, you will naturally splatter a bit of grease in your kitchen, and drop crumbs on the floor. These crumbs can then get swept under the fridge, dishwasher, or stove and remain there for quite some time. However, ants can smell these tiny morsels even if you can’t, and they will be attracted to them. To avoid problems that require ant extermination, sweep under appliances regularly, and even vacuum underneath them if you can.
Get Rid of Ants Today
Do you have ants in the house? Make sure you’re killing all the ants and not only the visible ones by calling 815-385-9511 to speak with the pest control experts at Schopen Pest Solutions.