The best ways to keep ants out of your house.

Ants can be very destructive and menacing when they attack your house. They’ll attack your cat food, destroy your chocolate chip cookies and invade your sugar storage. It’s better to understand the insects and implement measures to prevent them from getting into your house rather than waiting for them to cause so much damage before you getting rid of them. This will not only save you a lot of money, but will also ensure that you have peace of mind and no expected troubles from the little devils.

When do ants attack?
ants attack when the climate is warm. Their intention is to look for food, which they will store up in preparation for cooler seasons, when it may be too cold for them to come to the surface. Ant colonies search for food by walking on a straight line between the food source and the anthill. As they walk, they leave a trace of chemical on the ground which other ants can scent and trace so they don’t get disorganized or lost.

What attracts ants to your house?

Ants are mostly attracted by sugars and sweets. Ants are also attracted by pet foods. It’s not unusual to find pavement ants liking pet foods that have been carelessly stored. Oils, fats and proteins can also attract ants, especially the thief ants. Any wood or soft materials around your house that is damaged by water will definitely attract ants. This is what the carpenter ants are especially known for, hence their name.

How to make your house unattractive to ants.

The use of insecticides and chemical based bug killers may be very dangerous to your health and are not necessarily preventive measures. Therefore, you need to find a way to discourage the ants from coming into your house in the first place.

Keep your house clean – The first and most important thing to keep ants out of your house it to make sure that your house is clean at all times. Doing this eliminates their food source, which they can smell from a very far distance.

Store sugars and foods properly – You should also keep sweets and sugars in the refrigerator, or tightly sealed if you’re going to put them in the cupboard. Do the same thing for your pet foods, oils, fats and proteins. When you allow these food stuffs to drop on the floor, ants scouts may find it and then send a message to the colony resulting in an invasion.

Use natural remedies – Ants find red chili powder, black pepper, cinnamon and mint very irritating. These herbs and spices can be used in getting rid of ants by sprinkling them on places where you suspect they usually come out from, and in cupboards and countertops. You can also make use of bay leaves; placing them in containers, cabinets, drawers and home foundations, along with the herbs and spices.

Vinegar – Ants also don’t like the smell of vinegar. Make an equal mixture of vinegar and water and sprinkle it around the cupboards and other food storage areas to remove any possible ant scent trails, and keep them permanently in their anthill.