Is your house crawling with ants? Here’s how to stop an ant invasion.
Watch: How to kill ants with Borax
As summer reaches its peak in mid-January, many Aussie households are thinking about aircons and inflatable pools. But lots of people forget that the heat doesn’t just affect us, and our cool, cosy homes are perfect for ants and other pests to settle into.
The long lines of little black and brown ants coming from pantries and bins are most often found in southern Australian homes. And although they’re just trying to escape the heat like everyone else, they are a nuisance and can cause havoc in your kitchen.
So, what’s the best way to prevent an ant invasion?
What brings ants into the house?
As summer brings on the heat, it also brings in the ants. Ants are cold-blooded insects, meaning they seek out warm climates and hot temperatures.
During winter, ants are known to go into a ‘hibernation stage’ where they prefer the cosy life inside their nests. While it is not a true hibernation, it is a resting phase that readies them for the chaos and liveliness of summer.
When December comes around, ants begin to awaken and are in an active colony-building phase. This means that seeking out warm spaces and lots of food is their top priority.
Ants are drawn to sugary and fatty foods, which is why a pantry is their favourite place in the house. Ant foraging, while it is most often at a picnic-filled park or busy outdoor space, can move inside when there are open containers and crumbs at the ready.
And finally, the last ant attractor is a little bit surprising. Rain and wet weather tends to increase ant activity in the home. This is due to the outdoors being too wet for crumbs and spare food to be lying around, along with looking for a dry space to inhabit.
Some people have noticed an increase over the years as La Nina has reigned supreme. Carl Ibrahim from ACT Pest Control spoke to the ABC about house roofs and ant activity when it’s raining: “A lot of the houses in Canberra also have flat roofs, and that’s where a lot of the ants hide. It’s very hard for people to get into these places, so the colonies get bigger, as they nest undisturbed.”
How to combat an ant infestation
Combating the colonies in your home does take a lot of diligence. Of course, the best prevention is constant cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. There are quite a few ways to deter the ant trail, including:
- Wipe down benches with bleach or vinegar to deter ants from walking over kitchen prep surfaces. You can also kill ants with Borax mixtures and other home remedies.
- Seal up any entry points that ants could have access to. If you already have ants, trace down the line to see where they are coming from and close off their access.
- Remove any food from the floor. Although it may be a tricky task to pull off, especially with young children in the house, it will definitely reduce the number of ants looking for a tasty treat in your kitchen.
- Store food items in sealed containers in your pantry, preferably elevated off the floor.
- If you have a pet, keeping their food bowl clean and off the floor when not in use will decrease pests as well.
You may also like:
9 common garden pests and how to get rid of them
The 7 best way to get rid of cockroaches
How to get rid of pests in your kitchen
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
