Sometimes it’s enjoyable to have ants come to the house for dinner …. that is if it’s “Aunts” and not “ants”. Often homeowners issue far more invitations, be it unintentionally, to “ants” rather than “Aunts”.
So the questions is ….. how do you put out the “GO AWAY” doormat for ants instead of the “Welcome” doormat? The good news is there are a number of preventative measures that can be taken to minimize ant populations in your yard, thereby reducing sightings of ants indoors.
Because ants will build nests under any object on the ground, the first ant preventative measure is to remove all debris from the yard. Some of the items which could provide sheltering potential include construction debris, unused pet shelters, landscaping debris, firewood, tires, buckets or car parts. Perform a thorough evaluation of your yard, and you may be surprised by the amount of ant sheltering material that has built up over time.
Another preventative measure for ant control involves reducing the amount of available moisture. Steps to accomplish moisture reduction include directing the A/C drip line and gutter run off away from the house, maintaining landscape mulch at less than 2 inches and keeping the lawn as short as the type of grass will allow.
Because of the small size of ants, typically 1/16th of an inch, making a home “ant proof” can be challenging. In order to make entry more difficult for ants, seal any gaps around utility access points and around windows and doors with caulking. Checking and replacing screening over windows and vents as needed will also aid in ant invasion reduction.
If you are hosting the wrong type of “ant” for dinner, please contact Mr. Bugg’s Pest Patrol today for a free evaluation.
