Pest Control Ants in the Spring
Pest control ants in the Spring is an issue many of us have to deal with in this area of the Midwest once it starts warming up outside. To get ants out and keep them out of your house, Expert Pest Solutions has a few suggestions. Understanding a bit about how they function can help guide your actions. The first thing you need to do for pest control ants is to eliminate the ones that you can’t see in order to get rid of the ones that you do see. The queen ants lay all the eggs, never leaving the nest while staying busy producing more and more ants. The worker ants (the ones that you see skittering all over your house) have the job of feeding the queens.
Ants are very small and able to enter your home and buildings from outside through the tiniest cracks and crevices in the foundation, small openings in the siding, gaps under doors and windows, electrical outlets, laundry vents and more. For pest control ants, it’s imperative that you find where they’re coming in and where they’re going out. Ants aren’t just appearing out of thin air – they’re getting in somewhere, so find out how they are getting in. Simply put, you have to locate the nest!
Look for the lines of ants going back and forth on the same general path – in other words, follow their trail. The worker ants are looking for food – once they find it, they’ll take it back to the nest to feed the queens and all the young ants. This activity leaves a scent trail for the other worker ants to follow while they go about the business of finding and delivering food.
We suggest that you NOT spray – even if you do spray or set out bait traps, or try some of the homemade solutions you see on social media, while you may kill a few ants, the queen isn’t affected – she’s still safe in the nest, busy making more ants while you’re pulling your hair out trying to figure out how to get rid of them. The use of insecticide bait traps is more effective for pest control ants. The worker ants will carry the bait back to the nest for the queens, eventually killing them and eliminating the younger ants.
Don’t be in a hurry to mop the area or clean up the bait right away – the scent trail will still attract any newly arrived ants and lead them to the bait instead, and help prevent future infestation. It is not an overnight solution, so be patient and give it some time – depending on the size of the colony and degree of infestation, it could take a few weeks. It might be necessary to replace the bait station a time or two to effect the best results.
For effective pest control ants prevention, keep your home clean and free of food and water that is accessible to ants. Sweep the floors often and keep countertops and other surfaces wiped clean. Seal up any food that is left out. Remember, ants are searching for food and water – so take steps to make sure they don’t find it.
Expert Pest Solutions urges Springfield area homeowners to take action now for Spring pest control ants. Included in our pest control ants service is an inspection of both the interior and exterior of your home. We offer a quarterly pest control service plan in Springfield, Ozark, Nixa and surrounding communities. While our spring pest control ants service is our primary focus this time of year, our service can be individualized for each house and any pest. For your estimate call (417) 413-4776 or check out our website. An associate will call as soon as possible.