5 Reasons Ants Keep Coming Back To Your Home
No matter what time of year it is, the sight of ants in your home is never a welcome one. Because they're so small and there are so many of them, ants are hard to avoid completely. It's tough to completely seal them out of your home, but knowing why they're there in the first place (and how to fix it)is a good place to start in keeping ants out of your home. The bed bug removal pros from Bed Bug Authority Canada are here to discuss five reasons why ants are coming back into your home, so keep reading!
You're Leaving Food Out
Just like any other pest, ants need a consistent food source to survive. They're always looking for a quick and easy snack, and if you leave food out on the counter, you're just asking for ants to come to visit! Left-out food is the most common cause of ant infestations, but it's also the easiest to fix. Make sure you regularly clean up kitchen spills, put away your leftovers, and keep fruits and veggies in the fridge. You can also lay out bay leaves in your pantry– ants hate the smell.
Greasy Surfaces
Food residue and grease are less-obvious food sources that you might not realize are welcoming ants into your home. Whether it's on the sides of storage containers or on your stovetop, any kind of food particle is attractive to ants, and they'll come running for a meal. Wipe down any containers in your kitchen that might have a sticky residue like honey, syrup, or jam. You can also regularly wipe down your stovetop after cooking a meal, especially when you make foods like bacon or sauce.
Leaking Pipes & Faucets
Ants need water just as much as they need food, and if your home has leaking pipes or faucets, the ants will seek out the moisture. Kitchens and bathrooms are the most common places for ant infestations and it's usually because there's enough water there for them to survive. Closely inspect your sinks and toilets for leaks and make sure your windows aren't cracked during rainy weather.
Decaying Wood
Carpenter ants happily make their nests in wet or decaying wood, and if you've got any of that lying around your property, those ants will surely appear. Make sure you get rid of any rotting wood in your home's structure and remove fallen branches and stumps from your yard. This is also a great way to keep termites at bay!
Sticky Garbage
Many homeowners commonly forget to rinse out their garbage cans on a regular basis, and ants have no problem dumpster diving! Even things like soda cans in your trash bin can attract ants. You can avoid this by routinely cleaning out your garbage cans and rinsing out food containers before you throw them away. You can even put trash in sealed baggies before throwing the out to keep it from becoming an all-you-can-eat spot for ants.
If you find yourself with an ant problem here in Toronto, don't worry! Bed Bug Authority Canada is here to help. We've got high-quality ant control methods and solutions that will eliminate ants from your property and give you your home back.