What is the best defense? A good offense. One of the best tips we can give for avoiding springtime ants is to be proactive about your ant control. Don't wait till you're scratching your head, wondering how ants got into your kitchen or bathroom, take steps now to prevent those ants.
In our Illinois service area, we have many ant pests. While all of them are a little different, there are some conditions that can lead all of them to start an infestation. What are these two conditions? Moisture and entry points.
Moisture
From wood-damaging carpenter ants to tiny bacteria-spreading pharaoh ants, moisture has a big role to play. Carpenter ants will chew tunnels into wood that has been softened by moisture and pharaoh ants, along with a long list of other pest ants, will take advantage of the holes created by carpenter ants. There are three key ways moisture damage occurs.
- Excessive shade prevents rainwater from drying after a rainstorm. Trim tree branches and landscaping to allow the sunlight in to do its job.
- Clogged or damaged gutters allow rainwater to soak exterior walls and dampen the soil around your perimeter.
- Leaky plumbing or spigots give tap water an opportunity to make things wet near your home and soak your wood.
Entry Points
Some entry points that ants exploit are created by other pests. From the tiniest of wood-boring beetles to the biggest of rats. These holes are the most likely entry points because ants love moist places, which brings them near to these areas of damage. But ants can get in through other openings such as:
- Gaps in weather stripping around doors.
- Gaps under door sweeps.
- Broken seals around windows.
- Cracks in mortar or concrete foundations.
Now is the time to address moisture and entry points. This will help to reduce ant populations around your home and make it more difficult for them to get in. When you add residential pest control from a trusted pest control provider, it an effective combination for keeping an ant-free home. With routine and appropriate treatments around your home, you'll have a barrier in place that will take down a wide range of simple organisms, like ants. So, when ants come to look for entry points you've missed, they won't be able to get in alive.
To learn more or to schedule a free home pest inspection at your Moline or throughout Quad City area's, reach out to us today. At Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators, we don't just manage pests, we eliminate them.