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Where Do Ants Hide?

If you have ever found ants crawling across the kitchen counter or noticed a trail of little black ants on the bathroom floor, you are probably not alone.  Ants often enter homes during the warmer months in search of water and food.  With the summer season upon us, now is the perfect time to learn more about the #1 nuisance pest and how to prevent an unwanted infestation.

It is probably not a surprise the kitchen is considered a favorite ant hangout.  In addition to food access, the sink provides a water source that ants need to survive. Here are a few tips to keep ants out of the kitchen:

• Store sweet staples like sugar, syrup, and honey in plastic containers that snap shut.  You can also place a bay leaf inside canisters of dry goods like flour to keep the ants out.  The herbs’ pungent scent repels ants another other common pantry pest.
• Clean up grease spills from countertops and floors as soon as they happen.
• Any empty juice or soda containers should be rinsed out before recycling or throwing away.  Take the trash out regularly.
• Check for water buildup in sinks and leaks around the faucets.

Bathrooms are highly susceptible to ant infestation.  Carpenter ants, for example, often build nests in damp areas like behind bathroom tiles or under sinks.  To prevent an infestation in the bathroom, homeowners should:

• Occasionally, inspect sinks, toilets, and tubs for any leaks.
• Give the bathroom a thorough cleaning with a disinfectant cleaner.
• Check to ensure shampoo, lotion, and soap bottles are secured and have not spilled out of their containers.

Other common hideouts of ants are inside walls, bedrooms, living rooms, basements, and HVAC units.

Experts recommend sealing any cracks with silicone caulk, repairing holes in window and door screens, replace weather-stripping, and fix loose mortar around the basement foundation and windows.

When ants are found, pest professionals control them with a variety of exterior and interior treatments, as well as sanitation efforts like eliminating the sources of their food and water.

InCide® Pest Control Insulation will kill ants upon contact with the insulation and is intended to prevent infestations anywhere the product is applied.  InCide® is treated with a highly effective pesticide and fire retardant.  It is highly recommended for use in new construction and retrofit application in attics, sidewalls, and crawl spaces.

InCide® is authorized by USDA for use in federally inspected meat and poultry plants and is recommended for houses, apartments, offices, food processing plants, hospitals, restaurants, schools and hotels.  InCide® is certified and approved by the EPA and may only be installed by a licensed pest management company.