Ants do not travel alone. Wherever food is left out, especially something sticky and sweet, ants will find it. Before you know it, there will be a trail of ants marching through your kitchen. Learning a few preventative tips can help keep your home free of ants. But if the ants have deemed your kitchen their new grocery store, it is possible that they have made their nest near the exterior of your home and may be more difficult to eradicate.

Keep ants out of your home

Tips for keeping your home from becoming an ant magnet are:

• Wipe down your surfaces

The tiniest crumb is a feast for an ant. After you prepare food or eat a meal, be sure to wipe down all surfaces, such as the dining table and countertops, with an all-purpose spray to prevent ants from finding a morsel that keeps them coming back for more.

• Thoroughly clean up spills

If you accidentally knock a cup of soda or juice over, it can be difficult to reach all the places the liquid can spread. But if you really want to make sure you won’t have ants marching into your home, cleaning up every bit of that spill is essential. Make sure to look behind countertop appliances and even in drawers where drips can creep into.  Ants have an incredible sense of smell and can find all the places you miss when cleaning up a spill, so be thorough!

• Keep all food in air tight containers

To keep ants from finding your pantry, place all food in airtight containers. Not only will this prevent ants from finding your cookies, sugar, and other foods, it will also keep other pests from discovering your pantry as well.

• Pets

If you have a dog or cat, you may keep their food and water bowls in your home. Both pet food and water can be big magnets for ants. Ants are always on the lookout for a food source but as the summer heats up, finding easy access to water will also get their attention.

• Caulk around windows

After normal wear and tear, the caulk around your windows may be missing or damaged, leaving the tiniest entrances for these little, marching insects. Inspect the trim around your windows for any possible damage and apply fresh caulk around the exterior and sometimes interior of the window.

• Repelling scents

While an ant has a strong sense of smell, you can actually use this against them. There are some scents that ants cannot stand. White vinegar is at the top of the list of most hated scents for ants. Cleaning with white vinegar is a great way to safeguard your surfaces from attracting ants. 

Essential oils such as lemongrass, peppermint, and tea tree oil also repel ants from marching into your kitchen and getting into your food.

Call a pest professional

Keeping regular pest inspections is a great way to prevent pests like ants from coming inside.  Any potential ant problem is squished before it is able to develop into an infestation. If you are in Upland, CA, give Bug Baron Exterminator a call so we can help you get rid of that trail of ants in your kitchen.