Finding ants in your home can be more than a little bothersome. These creatures may be tiny, but they can contaminate your food as they walk across it, and they're ridiculously skilled at making their way into your cabinets, containers, and jars. Being that ants are so tough to get rid of, you are best off hiring a professional to exterminate them. And while you can leave most of the work to the pros, there are a few things you want to do in order to help ensure success.
Don't wait to call the exterminator.
You know the phrase "breeding like rabbits"? Well, ants probably breed faster than rabbits. One day, you'll see a couple of them. A week later, your home could be overrun. The sooner you call an exterminator, the faster they will be able to get rid of the ants, simply because there are fewer of them to get rid of. So call an exterminator as soon as you notice an ant problem. Many exterminators are busy and won't be able to fit you in for a few days, so the sooner you call and get on the schedule, the better.
Take a picture of the ants.
Ants are funny in that one minute, you'll see a bunch of them. Then the next minute, they'll be nowhere to be found. Knowing what type of ant they are dealing with will be helpful to the exterminator. Some ants respond to baits, while others are better treated with insecticides or traps. If you snap a few photos of ants when you see them, you can show those photos to the exterminator, and they'll be able to identify the ants without having to hunt for them.
Clean up any food source.
An essential part of getting rid of ants is cleaning up any food sources. The exterminator will appreciate if this is done before they arrive since it will slow down the ants' reproductive rate. Make sure you wipe crumbs out of the backs of cabinets, seal food up in plastic or glass containers, and put trash outside. Pick up pet food, too. Your exterminator can tell you more about the food that the specific type of ants you have eat so you can know which food sources to concentrate on.
An ant control service is your number one weapon against ants, but employing the tips above is also essential. Good luck!