Ants are coming to invade your Ohio home if they haven’t already. How to keep them out
“The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah.”
That children’s song is certainly true. They do come marching in, one by one, but where they end up in your Ohio home is the issue.
If you’ve been seeing ants in your home, you’re not the only one and chances are, there are more coming.
“Ants typically emerge in Ohio during the warm spring and summer months, and can be active until early fall,” according to A-Z Animals.
They are seeking shelter and, like any pest does, they are looking for food sources.
What kind of ants are they?
The most common ants that enter the home in Ohio are pavement ants (also referred to as “Slab Ants”) and Odorous House Ants (“sugar ants”).
“Odorous House Ants earned their common name because they smell like rotten coconut when crushed,” according to Oasis Turf and Tree. “They are considered one of the most common pests in our region and much more likely to get inside a home than many other types of ants.”
How to protect your home and keep ants away
Here are some tips to keep the little pests from marching in your home this fall and winter:
Check the exterior of your home for any cracks or holes, especially at ground level. Ants are persistent and will find any and every entrance point into your home so they can gain access to warmth and food for their colony.
Eliminate any food and water source for ants. It’s no surprise that the most common places where ant infestations begin are pantries and kitchens. Keep all stored food in airtight containers or securely sealed. Standing water or leaks around your home will also be a draw to ants, especially when there’s no outdoor rain.
You can use traps. Ant bait traps are popular and affordable products that seem to offer immediate results, but you have to keep in mind that you’re not addressing the entire problem when you use these traps. Ants that are in your home in the winter are likely living in a place where bait traps won’t be effective, like in your walls or sub-floors.
Call for backup. Contact your local pest control company for the best results.
In addition, Ohio State University gives the following advice:
- Use a perimeter treatment on your home’s foundation. Sprays can be applied high into the soil and around windows and doors. Use pesticides that avoid injury to plants or house pets.
Locate the nest and destroy the colony. Adding a drop of sugar or jelly near the site will attract them and help locate the nest. Apply treatment in the cracks or crevice were ants are emerging.
Eliminate food and water sources in your home and seal cracks and crevices where ants are getting in.