Because they come in large colonies, ants are difficult to get rid of. Ants enter your home for two reasons: to forage for food and find shelter.These ant species can be seen crawling around your Long Island kitchen: carpenter ants, thief ants, pharaoh ants, pavement ants, odorous house ants, and crazy ants. Termites are not considered ants.
What Attracts Ants
The problem with ants is that they like the same food that we do, so it’s difficult to get rid of them when there’s always something in the kitchen. Carpenter ant nests are likely to be found near wet or old wood (rotting timbers, window sills, rafters, etc.). You can also notice that their trails tend to be in long, straight lines around edges of the home.
Ants are very attracted to sweets like cough syrup, sweet liqueurs, sugar, and honey, to name a few. They can also be found around pet food, garbage, and kitchen counters/floors/cabinets if not cleaned correctly.
Ant Control
Take these steps to avoid a small ant problem from becoming a bigger one! Learn more about ant control here.
- Determine what the ants are attracted to and remove the food source.
- Vacuum trails, wipe them with soapy water, or spray with window cleaner.
- Locate entry points then caulk openings or plug with petroleum jelly.
- Put out bait stations or apply gel bait at entry points.
- Baits take time to work, so continue to clean up trails.
How about other Home Remedies to Get Rid of Ants?
Here are a few other home pest control remedies that may work for a short while…. but the ants don’t give up! Meantime, your home has got this stuff all over the place!
- mint leaves
- vinegar spray
- bay leaves
- baby powder
- lemon & water
- cayenne pepper
- duct tape ant trap
What GOOD Do Ants Do?
Ants actually reduce the amount of dead plant/animal matter. They also help aerate the soil when they’re nests are created there.
How Ants Operate
In the ant colony, there’s an egg-laying female (also known as the queen), short-lived males, and workers (which are sterile females). Ants communicate with each other through a chemical message that they leave on the surface. It’s called a “trail pheromone,” and it helps the workers navigate between the nest and the food. The trail can be removed using detergent.
The most effective type of control for ants is killing the queen. Simply crushing or spraying every ant you see won’t be enough, because they can always reproduce. In fact, spraying the ants you see will only kill 1% to 10% of the colony. The success rate for a new colony to thrive is low without a queen.
Pest Control Guarantee
Guaranteed pest control solutions are available with Suburban Exterminating. Make the call today in Nassau (516) 864-6900 or Suffolk (631) 864-6900. To contact us here.
