Five Tried-and-True Tips for Keeping Ants Out of Your Home This Spring
The first signs of spring will be here before you know it, from the warmth of the sun and light rain showers to beautiful flower blooms. Spring is a time to throw open the windows to allow fresh air inside, and to deep clean and organize your home, but there may be something lurking nearby ready to invade your house. We’re talking about pests—specifically, ants. The good news is that there are steps you can take to avoid needing to call a pro for ant removal in Butte County, CA this spring.
The goal of any homeowner is to keep ants out of their home, and often, the more natural the pest control method, the better. For out-of-control ant invasions, call a professional for ant removal in Butte County, CA as soon as possible. The following are five tried-and-true tips for keeping ants away:
- Seal up openings: Prevention is the best way to avoid an ant problem. Before spring arrives, do your best to deter ants from entering your house and making themselves at home. Unfortunately, these tiny critters can get inside through any number of entry points—some openings are so small they are hard to see with the naked eye. For now, seal up visible cracks and holes in walls and fix weather stripping around doors and windows until they shut tight. Apply caulk to cracks around windows and doors, too, which not only keeps ants out, but creates better indoor temperature control as well.
- Essential oils: To deter ants, try a peppermint essential oil. Start by cleaning off countertops or other infested services, then do a second pass with a damp cloth or paper towel containing a few drops of the essential oil. The peppermint oil is safe and environmentally friendly, and while it likely smells great to you, ants find it repulsive.
- Liquid soap: The liquid soap you use to wash dishes by hand can be applied around windows, doors, baseboards and other small openings to keep ants away. Put down only a thin line of dish soap, pour the soap directly into ant hills or spray impacted areas with a soap and water solution.
- Lemon juice or vinegar and water: Another option is to clean kitchen and other household surfaces using a 50/50 mixture of white distilled vinegar and water. This is a very natural solution to use in place of chemically enhanced cleaning products and toxic ant repellant sprays. Ants hate the smell of vinegar, and the vinegar removes ant scent trails. Lemon juice is another fantastic option. It too seems to destroy scent trails, so it’s worth spraying lemon juice around the areas you suspect are being used as ant entrance points.
- Used coffee grounds: There’s good chance you live with at least one coffee drinker. Instead of tossing those used coffee grounds, sprinkle them around the outside of your house and in the garden, as ants are not fond of the smell of coffee.
If you find yourself in need of ant removal in Butte County, CA this spring, don’t hesitate to contact the team at Hobbs Pest Solutions. Reach out to us today to book an appointment!