Ants are a year-round pest Long Island homeowners battle, becoming especially active in the spring and summer. If you’re sick of finding yourself with sudden ant infestations this spring, there are a few tips that will help prevent these pests in your home.

Where Do Ants Come From?

Keeping in mind where ants come from is key to prevention. Like humans, ants have basic needs to survive: food and water, and they are opportunistic creatures who are always on the move looking for these essentials. If ants find a crack or crevice in a Long Island home that leads them to a food source, they’ll likely take food back to their colony and even share the great news with their fellow ants.

When it comes to WHAT they eat, ants aren’t too picky; sweet foods, greasy foods, and even garbage make up some of their favorite meals. And though ants don’t need a lot of water to survive, they are drawn to moist areas, which is why you often see ants in your kitchen or bathroom.

5 Ways to Prevent Ants in Your Long Island Home

To prevent ants in your home, it’s going to be vital to prioritize cleaning and pest-proofing some key areas, keeping in mind why ants come inside in the first place—that food and water we mentioned earlier!

1. Keep Your House Clean

Sanitation is a major factor in pest prevention, especially for ants, which is why it’s important to keep your home clean and free of food crumbs and spills. The kitchen is where you’re most likely to see ants, due in large part to the close proximity to a variety of tasty foods and potential moisture from the sink. Be sure to wipe down your countertops daily (not just when there’s a spill!), and sweep, mop, and vacuum often.

2. Check for Moisture

As we mentioned, ants need water to survive, so they’ll look for sources of moisture in your home. This isn’t limited to perfectly working sinks; you could have leaking pipes you don’t know about that are causing an ant infestation in your home. Periodically, check under your sinks and make sure no excess water is collecting. Also, check your air conditioning unit to make sure it’s working properly and not creating excess condensation that could be drawing ants inside.

3. Identify and Repair Potential Entry Points

Pest proofing your home is a good idea year-round, and one of the most helpful tips to keep pests out of your home is to make sure there aren’t any potential entry points. Through the years, houses develop wear and tear like cracks and crevices in their foundations, which can be large enough in size for many pests from ants to larger wildlife critters to fit through and gain entry into your home. This spring, do a thorough visual examination of your home and look for areas that could use some minor home improvement repairs; it could save you the time, hassle, and money associated with a pest infestation!

4. Seal Food Properly

Going along with keeping your home, and in particular, kitchen clean, it’s important to seal your food in a specific way when you’re not actively chowing down. For any food not currently in use, store leftovers in sealed, airtight containers, preferably in the refrigerator so as not to attract pests like ants. If you have fruit on hand, reconsider storing it on the counter—this will definitely attract of variety of pests, especially ants! And finally, if you have pets, don’t leave their food out 24/7.

5. Call Suburban Exterminating

Dealing with ants can be frustrating, which is why your best bet is to maintain a regular preventative pest control service from Suburban Exterminating. We offer a variety of annual plans sure to fit every family’s needs, and our team is experienced in identifying the root of ant infestations and providing your home with guaranteed ant control. 

For a free estimate, call (631/516) 864-6900.

 

How to Prevent Ant Invasions This Spring Serving Long Island and surrounding areas

Richmond | Kings County | Nassau County | Suffolk County

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