Ants. They are one of the most annoying pests that plague you as soon as the weather starts to heat up.
One moment, your home is ant-free. the next moment, they are in your home, have found a way into your pantry, and have started eating anything they can find. Fixing this infestation takes time, money, and effort.
If you are wondering how to stop ants from coming through the window frame cracks in your home, then I’ve got you covered in this article!
Continue reading to find out how to stop these annoying pests.
While trying to get rid of the ants’ problem, you must be familiar with why they evade in the first place. There are several reasons why ants must be coming to your house.
Ants trail is a very natural event and can happen anywhere. It might be possible that the ants are already living inside your house. But that’s another story. So, seeing a dozen ants shouldn’t be a matter of concern, but if the evasion is on a large scale, it is time to act.
One thing that you must know about ants. They are constantly on the hunt for water and food. They need to feed their colony, so they target places like Kitchens or Bathrooms in your house where they can find plenty of food and water.
So, if you are wondering why you are being greeted by ants every morning in your home, then there are some things you must know.
1. Your Surfaces are Greasy
You might not know this, but the leftover grease, gravy, or other food residues can be an attractive spot for ants.
This grease can be hiding underneath storage containers with food in them, sides of the stovetop, and the greasy surface of the kitchen countertop.
2. You Leave the Food Outside
It’s as obvious as it sounds. After having a meal, a lot of people often leave the leftover food out in the open. Whether there is leftover food in the hall or the kitchen, you can expect a trail of ants waiting to devour it.
Leftover food in the kitchen is one of the easiest meals for ants.
3. Ants Have Infested the Surrounding Woods
There’s also a possibility that the ants have infested the woods outside your house. It happens when wood gets moistened over time after coming in contact with rain or leaking pipes. It can happen inside your home too. That way, you can see where the colony is thriving.
4. It can Also be Your Garbage
There’s also a high possibility that your sticky garbage is attracting these tiny creatures. Ants have no problem going through your dustbin to find something to eat. If you have thrown bones from last night’s chicken or something sugary, then you should know that ants are coming for it.
These are a few of many reasons why ants could be cruising into your home. Now, let’s talk about what you can do to keep them away.
How To Stop Ants From Coming Through The Window Frames
I’ll begin with the obvious… you need to remove any gaps between the window/frame/brickwork. Any gaps in these areas will be used by ants to gain access to your property.
Once they get in, ants will begin looking for water and food.
Since you know that the ants are attracted to food particles and water sources. Make sure that there’s nothing left behind in your kitchen or your room. Also, ensure that there aren’t any leaking pipes serving as a water source to these creatures.
If one ant finds water or food, the rest of the colony will know about it. Very soon, you will have a long line of ants in your home.
Aside from sealing up those gaps, you should follow these tips to get rid of ants and keep them away:
1. Surround Your House with Ant Barrier
If ants repeatedly enter your home from outside, then it might be the right option to start by putting ant spray as a barrier around the house perimeter. It can help in driving them away as well as prevent further intrusion.
There are plenty of ant spray products that you can find on the internet or in your local market.
2. Keep the House Clean
As discussed above, eliminating any food particles left behind can help in avoiding a meet with ants. So, make sure that you clean the surfaces where you cook the food and where you eat the food.
If dirty dishes are lying around in the kitchen, you can find grease and food residue on them. Well, so can ants, and they want it. So, make sure that you keep the dishes and the sink area clean. Wipe down the areas like counters, work tables, etc., with a mixture of vinegar water.
Spills here and there in the house can cause surfaces to get sticky. That can also be a factor attracting ants in your home, as mentioned before.
3. Start Sealing Food in Containers
If you fear that the ants will attack your food, then start putting food in sealed containers to prevent it from happening.
Keeping your food or your dog’s food out in the open is kind of an invitation to ants who are already on a hunt to collect meals. In such cases, you have the option of storing your food in sealed containers. It will restrict ants and other pests from accessing your food and entering your house.
4. Break/Remove Ant Trails
If there’s an existing ant problem in your house and you constantly notice ant trails at different corners of your home, then you should try to find out their source of origin. You need to identify where they are coming in.
This way, you can remove the ant trail to prevent them from entering any further. To do that, create a mixture of vinegar and water and spray it to break the trail.
In case you feel that the ant problem is getting out of hand, there is an option of removing a colony without killing them right there. You can deploy ant baits. They are toxic baits that you can place around the areas where they can find them. Once the ants take the bait back to the colony, the poisonous bait removes the entire colony rather than just a few ants around the house.
This method may sound a little extreme. But if you want to solve this problem, then ant baits can be one of the ways. Also, ensure that there are no cracks in your home, especially near places like doors and windows. You can find some clear spots where the ants are visible. Make sure that you fill them up to prevent them from entering.
Conclusion
But in case, after doing all that and trying every possible way to prevent ants, you still find yourself living with them, then it might be the time to get some professional help.
There are plenty of professional pest control companies that provide you with effective products and services.
The commercial-grade services will surely help resolve your ant problem.
After spending the entire night lying awake in a cockroach-infested hotel, I have driven myself to build knowledge on all things pest control. Since then, I've tested pest control techniques to see what works and what doesn't. Now, here I am giving you all the info I have learned!
