If you find yourself hosting some unwanted guests in the form of ants, especially the common sugar ant, or in the industry known as The Odorous House Ant, then you may want to know how to evict them once and for all. First thing’s first. Don’t panic. Ants can definitely a problem, but they don’t need to stress you out. The worst thing you can do is spray in and around your home with bug spray! This never ends well and is never a cheap solution. You’re going to learn how to deal with them by following these easy steps. Also, don’t hesitate to call your local Pest Management Professional, like Capitol Pest. We are happy to help with your ant issue and we would love to be your resource for all your pest problems.

Step 1: Defensive measure. Block their entryways

Start simple with a good defense. Ants are pretty smart when it comes to getting into your house. Check for cracks in your foundation or broken or loose seals on your windows and doors. Ants can feel the warm or cold air, depending on the time of year, seeping out of your house through those cracks. If you identify a troublesome seal, replace it to save money and exclude those critters. Calk gaps in tile and grout. This will slow down the scouts from finding their way in. Also look for shrubs and tree branches touching the walls and roof, prune them back at least once a year.

Step 2: Defensive measure. Remove food supply access

Chances are you won’t be able to eliminate all their entrances to your home so the next step is to reduce the reason for ants being there in the first place: food and water. Do a deep clean around the active area (usually kitchen pantry) for any crumbs or food matter that may be on the ground or on a shelf. This will eliminate their odor trails and clear their food source. It’s probably time for a good deep clean of your kitchen anyway, so win win. Fix leaking faucets to eliminate water sources. Water is the #1 reason ants invade in the winter.  

Make sure that any cooking and baking supplies, especially sugar, are locked in an airtight container. Clearing out any food bits and sealing off desirable food staples can get them moving out of your house as well. Done right, the ants should be looking for dinner somewhere else within a few days or less.

Step 3: Offensive measure. Lay out ant bait

If the ants are still invading your living space, then it’s time to go on the offensive. In your new clean kitchen, lay out ant bait stations in the corners and near areas you’ve noticed ants, this should intercept them before they find your people food. If you can see where they are coming from on the outside, then you might want to put some bait down there as well. Give them several opportunities to get the bait. Liquid baits tend to work the best as the foragers can feed on them easier than the dry granular baits. If a bait doesn’t seem to be their favorite you may want to try a few different kinds as ants can be finicky eaters. If you see the ants swarm your bait and ask for seconds, don’t let them run out of THAT bait.

After bait treatment, wait about three weeks before declaring absolute victory. The queen may have been going into overdrive to produce more workers after the first wave was wiped out by the bait. It can take a few weeks for her to fully recover her losses to the colony and your ant problem may rear its ugly head again. If possible, scour the area surrounding your house for colony activity, including new starter colonies. If a queen is distressed, she may send out other queens to start their own colonies which could lead to an even bigger invasion down the road.

Note that we never mentioned spraying. Don’t give in to what may sound like the easy way and spray your ants. They are in it for the long haul and if you want the victory stay in it too!

Step 4: Offensive measure. Call in a professional

If your ant problem persists, then it’s time to call in the experts. Your local pest management professional (PMP) will be happy to help you out with your ant problem. A good PMP will look in places like around your landscaping, garden shed or hot tub in order to discover evidence of other ant access that you didn’t know about. Give us a call today at Capitol Pest if you’re just looking for expert advice from a local professional or to set up an appointment. Good luck and happy hunting out there!

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While seeing a line of these tiny guys leading out of your pantry is not a pleasant surprise to get with your morning coffee, there are plenty of ways to solve your ant problems. The first step is to identify HOW exactly they got into your house in the first place. The most common ant found in Idaho is called the “odorous ant” and is also known as the “sugar ant, stink ant, and coconut ant (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapinoma_sessile).” These little brown ants love sugar, soda, and anything sweet. Here’s how they will typically get into your house to chow down on your pantry:

From Above

Ants are nothing if not strong and fast. It’s estimated that they can lift over 3,000 times their body weight, which makes them great climbers. Ants will typically get into your house through the roof. Ants, especially the Idahoan sugar ant, can build their colonies in and around trees. Look around your house to see if you have any branches touching your roof or outside wall. If you do, then that could be a perfect way for ants to get a foothold in your abode.

Also, look for power/utility lines that may lead into your house from the street. Many older houses will have a power line going directly from the pole in the street to their roof. An ant colony at the base of that pole can easily make their way up and over to your roof by following the line. Take a walk around the perimeter of your house and take note of what is touching your house.

From Below

Ants are attracted to heat and moisture and especially when they find both in one place. Check the seals around your outside doors, especially the bottom plates. If they are torn or misaligned, they could be seeping warm air outside. If a scouting ant discovers this, they may bring backup to forage for food in your house, especially during the colder months.

Check your garage as well. Ants are oftentimes found inhabiting cracks in driveways, which puts your garage front and center. They can easily slip under a poorly sealed garage door. Make sure every window and door to the outside of your house is properly sealed in order to prevent an ant infestation.

Pro Tips:

1. When it’s time to replace the seal on your garage door, look for the name of the manufacturer on the door itself and not on the remote or motor unit.
2. Take a three inch cutting of the garage door seal to your neighborhood hardware store so they can match it to your particular door.
3. When replacing the seal, make sure you cut it about six inches longer than your actual door. This will help keep it in place during extreme temperature variations.

Remember, your local pest control company should be your first call if you discover ants or other unwanted critters in your home. Give them a call first before you spend your hard earned money on store bought remedies. Oftentimes, a pest control professional will be able to give you a free consultation or even help you solve the problem right there over the phone. At Capitol Pest, we are happy to give you friendly, free advice right over the phone. Call today!

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