Ants appear in droves in summer as they leave their nests to search for food to store for winter. In Australia, there are around 3,000 species of ants, so the likelihood of them appearing in your home is quite high. If you’re continuously battling ants you’ll be pleased to know that you can be ant-free, it just takes patience and persistence.
Keep reading for some tips on how to keep ants at bay.
Ant Signs
If you have an ant problem, you’ll know about it as you’ll be able to see them. The kitchen is one of the first places ants target as it’s a ready food and water source. The ants will probably have a main nest outside and be coming in looking for food they can transport back to it. Once they’ve established your house is a good bet for sustenance, they’ll send out the word to their ant friends who will gatecrash your home.
Prevent Ants
Be extra vigilant when it comes to leftovers and anything sweet. Don’t leave open sugar bowls, leftover food or moisture on the counter. Clear crumbs and keep food in the fridge in tightly sealed containers. Sweep floors after each meal and don’t leave dirty dishes piled in the sink. Rubbish bins attract ants so keep them away from your house and empty household rubbish every day.
Pet food bowls are a common ant attractor, but you can get around this by putting the smaller bowl in a larger bowl of water. This creates a moat that the ants can’t get over. Check for small entry holes in the exterior walls and around the doors and windows of your house. Seal these up so the ants can’t get in.
Find the Nest
If ants are already in your home, then they’ll either have a nest outside or have set up camp in your walls, in the foundations or the roof. Killing individual ants doesn’t solve the larger problem, they’ll just keep coming back. Ants leave a chemical trail so that their worker comrades can follow it.
Get on their trail and see where it goes. If the colony is outside, then it can be just a simple case of pouring a few litres of boiling water into it to end the problem. Other suggestions are to use liquid spray around the perimeter of your property or ant powder, baits or gels where they’re entering the house.
A natural repellant is cucumber which apparently ants hate. Try placing a few slices on wax proof paper near the entry points. Peppermint oil, ground pepper and garlic powder are some more natural ant repellents to try.
If the ants are nesting in your house, then you may need to call a professional to locate the nest and treat it appropriately. It’s best to get an ant problem sorted immediately, you don’t want ants nesting in or around your home, as well as being a nuisance, ants can cause damage to furnishings and fixtures and weaken concrete or paved areas.