The Great Invasion: Why Ants Return to Your Home Each Summer

The last thing anyone wants to see is the ever-recognizable train of ants making their way through the kitchen, bathroom, or living area. Not to be confused with the fun aunt who gives the best gift each holiday, these ants are usually found crawling up a windowpane or behind the sink. Although tiny, these pests are a big problem. As soon as the weather warms up, one ant turns into one hundred as they refuse to leave the comfort of your home.

Here are a few ways to control an ant infestation and prevent one from happening in the future.

Know Their Sleep Schedule

Ants hibernate in the winter, coming out to build new nests once the ground warms up. After hibernating, they search for water, heat, and food, making your kitchen or bathroom the perfect place to start looking. If there are open water or food sources, such as crumbs on your countertop or water splashes around the shower, ants will quickly see this as a free-for-all. They are especially attracted to sugary foods, so thoroughly wipe down any surfaces after cooking in the kitchen.

Look for the Gaps

The easiest way to see where the ants are coming from is to follow their trail. They can squeeze through an opening the size of a pinhole, making any cracks and crevices the perfect place to maneuver their way into your space.

Check your insulation to make sure it’s free of holes. If any gaps are found, seal the entries, blocking the ants from returning to their nest and bringing along even more friends. Sometimes their entry points are so small they can be hard to spot, so if sealing your home doesn’t do the trick, it may be time to call in the professionals.

Speak Their Language

Ants love to talk. They are very social and communicate through touch and shared food, which helps them avoid repellents like household ant spray. When sprayed, ants scatter to avoid the repellent while quickly informing the others of the danger. A professional pest removal company will treat ants with products they don’t identify as harmful – that way, they carry it back to their colonies and spread the treatment to the rest of the colony.

Identify and Repel

Finding out what kind of ants you have is crucial in getting rid of these pests. Instead of using common repellents, it’s best to call pest control experts who can accurately identify the type of ant in your home and remove them with the best possible treatment.

If you are unwillingly hosting ants in your home, contact Hughes Exterminators today to say goodbye to the disruptive visitors.