Of all the many pests living on Long Island, ants are certainly some of the hardest ones to get rid of. It might seem simple to sweep up an ant trail turning the corners along the walls of your home, but why is it that they always seem to come back?
Ants are much harder to get rid of than you might imagine for a few different reasons. This makes it important to learn all that you can about them to prepare for the inevitable ant appearances that we all have to deal with. If you want tested advice on ant prevention and control strategies for your home, read on to learn from the experts at Arrow Exterminating!
Why is My DIY Ant Control Failing?
The main issue with most methods of at-home ant control is that they attack the symptoms of the problem and not the source. When you find an ant trail in your home, your first inclination might be to squash the ants or to use a store-bought ant control spray product to stop them. The problem with these approaches is that when ants die, they release a pheromone signal that warns other members of their colony of a dangerous area. The rest of the colony will sense this signal and find another way inside your home. Because ants are so small and sneaky, it’s likely that they won’t have any trouble finding a different access point!
Reliable Ways to Keep the Ants Out
You’re probably wondering what proper at-home ant control looks like if it doesn’t involve squashing or spraying. We recommend you try these strategies to stop ants from getting inside to begin with:
- Follow the trail: Your first step in DIY ant control should be to find out where your ants are coming from. If you can trace their trail back to a particular entryway into your home, you can close off the spot with caulk, screens, or a citrus-based cleaning solution to keep them out.
- Don’t allow access to food and water: If ants find a food source through crumbs, spills, or open food containers, they will take advantage of it for as long as they can access it. The same goes for pooling water in your bathroom. Make sure to clean up spills, store food safely, and keep your home well-ventilated.
- Hire an expert: The only way to completely ensure that your ant trail doesn’t return is to take them out at their source by getting rid of the colony. An expert will be trained to find the source of your trail and exterminate the colony.
Expert Home Ant Control around Long Island
If you just can’t figure out how to get rid of your ants, leave it to the expert ant exterminators at Arrow Exterminating. Our team has been taking care of all kinds of different ant infestations around Long Island for over 75 years. We can identify the reasons for your infestation, create a plan to get rid of the ants, and teach you how to prevent them by yourself. For a free quote or to learn more about how we handle ant extermination, contact us today!