The reason many homeowners struggle to get rid of ants is that they don't fight back hard or soon enough against the infestation. Ants may be small, but they're really hardy and very persistent. If you just put out a few baits or spray a little insecticide here and there, you might see fewer ants for a week or two, but then they'll come back, often with a vengeance.
To fight off an ant infestation successfully, you are best off hiring a professional pest control service, and one who takes a comprehensive, no-holds-barred approach! They have to fight as hard as the ants, and that involves using all of the following techniques.
An Inspection and Nest Location
Before a pest control technician begins spraying anything or making any other changes to your home, they should spend some time looking around and investigating. They will try to figure out where the ants are coming into your home, what they are feeding on, and where the ants' nest is located. Your pest control technician may also ask you questions as a part of this protocol. They may ask, for instance, where you have seen the most ants, what time of day you see them, and approximately how many you've seen.
Food Source Elimination
Ants are usually first attracted to a home because there is a food source. Eliminate the food source, and the ants won't disappear immediately, but their population will decline over the coming weeks as they're no longer able to obtain enough food to grow their colony. Once your pest control expert figures out what the ants are eating, they will guide you in eliminating that food source. This may mean anything from putting a lid on your trash can to picking up your pet's food at night. It could also mean getting rid of potted plants the ants are eating, keeping veggies in the fridge instead of on the counter, and cleaning out your pantry.
Exclusion Tactics
The next step is to address the ways that the ants are coming into your home. While you may not be able to seal off every tiny crack that an ant could fit through, your pest control technician will identify the major entry points and work with you to address them. This could mean caulking alongside your doors and windows, patching up holes in the siding, repairing a damaged roof, or filling cracks in your foundation. Your pest control service probably won't be able to do all these things on their own, but they can refer you to businesses that will.
Insecticide Sprays
After eliminating food sources and entry points, it is time to spray and kill any ants that are present. Your pest control technician will spray the nest directly if it can be located. They may also spray along window sills, along the backs of shelves, or under cabinets — as these are spots where ants spend a lot of time. Most services will also spray around the perimeter of the home's exterior, as this will kill any ants that might otherwise enter the home.
Baits
Finally, your pest control tech should put down some baits. These will attract any ants that have managed to escape the insecticide sprays. The ants will take the bait back to the colony and share it with other ants, where it will poison the colony. Even if only a few ants find the bait, a lot of them will die as a result of this step.
Getting rid of ants is not easy, but a good pest control company will tackle this task from multiple angles, increasing the chances of success.
To learn more, contact a company like Good News Pest Solutions.
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