The only thing more aggravating than an ant on your dinner plate is an ant invasion on your pristine kitchen counters. These common household pests are much more than nuisances, however, as their numbers and continuous nature of foraging make them a pest control experts meet often in day-to-day operations. In this pest control guide, we’re going to explore pest control for ants and help you with keeping your home ant free with clear, authoritative advice. If you’re looking for tips on ant prevention or an ant pest control service you can trust, read on!
The Lowdown on the Ant: The Body, Behavior, and Ecology
Argentine ants, Carpenter ants, Pharaoh ants: What do these common pests all have in common? They’re all ants, of course, scientifically classified as the Formicidae family and probably the most successful insects in the world. These tiny workers and their nests can be found all over the world, with over 13,800 known species that can be identified by the two-pronged elbowed antennae, waist section between the thorax and abdomen, and a well-developed node. As the common household pests they are, ants can be found anywhere there is food, water, and shelter, including tropical rainforests and our own backyards.
Ants also have very specific social body structures and behavior as a social colony with specialized castes like a queen, workers, and drones or males that all work together to survive and grow, which also makes ant infestations very challenging to handle. Luckily, they can also be controlled with a smart pest control plan and treatment.
Why You Have Ant Infestations, & Why It’s Key to Pest Control
Ants need three basic things to survive and enter homes: an entry point, food sources in your kitchen or pet food areas, and accessible nesting areas. Ants also lay pheromone trails inside homes that other workers follow, which can turn a few ants on the counter into an entire nest invading your property in a short period of time.
Pest control that targets this need and addresses entry points, food attractants, and nest management often takes a comprehensive and sustainable approach. This is because ant control isn’t just about killing a few visible ants but also about disrupting their communication and removing the root source of an infestation by addressing their entire colony.
Step-by-Step Pest Control Guide: An Ant Treatment Plan
1. Sanitation & Cleaning: First Line of Pest Control
Ant pest control starts with sanitation and cleaning practices. Clear all food and drink crumbs and spills, put all food in airtight containers and especially any sweets or sticky foods, rinse and store pet food dishes after nightly feedings, and empty trash regularly.
2. Seal Entry Points
Ants can squeeze through the smallest of cracks or spaces, so seal entry points, both inside and out, with silicone caulk around foundations, windows, doors, and utilities, and replace or install weather stripping around doors, as needed.
3. Use Natural Remedies to Disrupt Ant Trails
Ants use pheromones to communicate and lay trails, so you can stop them in their tracks with DIY and natural options, like a 50/50 white vinegar and water solution, which cleans surfaces and breaks their chemical trails.
Lemon juice or peels, on the other hand, contain the d-limonene compound that can deter and confuse ants’ communication and navigation, as well. Both of these are easy, safe options that can be used regularly and in targeted areas as part of an integrated pest control strategy.
4. Effective Ant Baits
A tried and true option for ant pest control, ant baits work by enticing worker ants to carry slow-acting poisons back to their nests and share it with the entire colony, including the queen. Depending on the species of ants you have, you may want to try different bait types for maximum effectiveness, with some like the Argentine ant more susceptible to sugar and boric acid baits while others may be more attracted to proteins or require different options during specific seasons.
5. Species-Specific Ant Treatment Tips
- Argentine ants: Prolific breeders with numerous queens, making their ant control a challenge. To eliminate this household pest, use a slow-acting borate-based bait that will be carried back to the nest.
- Pharaoh ants: Small and tend to nest inside the home. Spraying the ants will cause them to scatter and start new nests, so the best ant bait for this species will include either insect growth regulators or 1% boric acid mixed with sugar water.
6. Non-Pesticide or Natural Ant Control Options
- Natural ant repellents: Ants can be physically repelled or their pheromones disrupted with diatomaceous earth, essential oils (peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender oil), cinnamon, or chalk lines.
- Boiling soapy water: An effective method for eliminating visible nests outdoors that’s part of a broader, low-risk IPM strategy for specific areas.
7. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Ants
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a pest control approach that values prevention and “wise” or targeted control methods before the “rightful” use of chemical control. An IPM plan for ants would include monitoring, sanitation, exclusion, mechanical or cultural, biological control, traps, and minimal and targeted pesticide use (as a last resort), including baiting tactics for ants, ongoing habitat modification, and other low-risk, strategic interventions.
8. When to Call the Professionals for Ant Pest Control
Ant pest control from professionals may be necessary if the ants in your home are persistent, a DIY pest control regimen fails, and particularly for large colonies or more serious species like Argentine ants and Pharaoh ants.
Best Practices for Ongoing Ant Pest Control
- Rotate bait: Rotating baits can help avoid any resistance.
- Monitor and refill: Monitor baits, replacing them until no activity is detected, and clear pheromone trails frequently with vinegar.
- Prevent perimeter: Keep mulch and woodpiles away from your home’s foundation, trim back vegetation to maintain clear boundaries and inspect regularly.
DIY Ant Repellent Ideas and Tips: Natural Solutions That Work
| Natural Solution | Helps Because |
|---|---|
| White vinegar solution (50/50 mix) | Disrupts ant pheromones and foraging |
| Lemon juice or peels | Contains a compound called d-limonene that deters and confuses ants |
| Essential oils (peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender), cinnamon, or chalk lines | Create a physical barrier or mask their scent trails |
| Baking soda + sugar (cost-effective) | The sweetness attracts the ants, the baking soda is toxic to them |
| Chalk or diatomaceous earth (physical repellents) | Forms a barrier or absorbs the oils from their exoskeletons, killing them |
Summary & Takeaways
- Stay on top of sanitation and cleanliness and remove attractants.
- Seal up all potential entry points to keep ants from entering.
- Trap and break pheromone trails with vinegar, lemon, or other DIY safe methods.
- Use ant baits and options that are species-specific.
- Incorporate IPM principles, from prevention, DIY, and low-risk tactics to minimum and targeted chemical use.
- Bring in the experts when needed for identification, species, and additional control.
Conclusion & Benefit/CTA
Ants are small, but their numbers and behavior can really add up. It’s only with a smart and comprehensive pest control strategy and plan that your home can be kept ant free and avoid future problems.
If ants are making your house their home more than you would like, don’t leave it to chance. Contact Steel City Pest today and let’s talk about your pest control needs and a solution that keeps the ants out, for good.
