Happy Thursday!!  It’s May 9….warmer days are upon us.  It’s finally feeling like Spring, however, warmer weather = ANTS.  If you are having issues like me with ants coming in your home this time of year, here are some tips to keep those pesky ants outside where they belong.

A number of steps can be taken by homeowners to reduce the potential for future ant problems, such as:

• Store food items that attract ants, such as sugar, syrup, honey, and pet food in closed containers. Wash them to remove residues from outer surfaces.
• Sweep up food crumbs, wipe up spills, take out the garbage and don’t leave dirty dishes sitting around the house.  Rinse out empty soft drink containers or remove them from your home.
• Spray vinegar mixed with water around bowls of pet food to keep ants from feasting there.
• Ants leave a scented trail that other ants follow. Sweeping or mopping isn’t enough to eliminate the scent. Mix 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water in a spray bottle, then spray wherever you’ve seen ants in the past. This will stop outdoor nesting ants that entered the house to forage for food (ants that come inside are not necessarily trying to establish a nest).
• However, vinegar and water won’t stop ants that are already nesting indoors. You’ll need to kill them with ant bait or call an exterminator if you feel you may have an ant infestation.
• Once you’ve set out toxic ant bait, expect to see lots of ants (initially). That’s a good thing. It means more ants are taking the bait (which is toxic) back to the colony where they’ll share it with the rest of the ants, including the queen, and kill them. There might be thousands of ants back at the nest. Be patient, this may take a few days for the bait to take effect.
• Thoroughly clean up grease and spills.
• Remove garbage from your home daily and change liners frequently.
• Correct roof and plumbing leaks and other moisture problems that will attract ants.
• Eliminate wood-to-ground contact, such as where landscaping has pushed soil or mulch up against the wood siding of a home.
• Clip back tree limbs and vegetation touching the roof or siding of the house. Limbs and branches serve as bridges between tree limb nests and the structure.
• Stack firewood away from the foundation, and elevate it off the ground. Never store firewood in the garage or other areas of the home, as firewood is a major ant nesting area.
• After ridding the house of ants, take steps to ensure they don’t come back. Caulk and seal holes, and then spray insecticide around doors and windows.  Seal cracks and openings in the foundation, especially where utility pipes and wires enter from the outside.

At Berenz Home Inspections 360° we carefully inspect the interior and exterior of your home.  Please visit our website to see all the services we cover. Included with every home inspection, a wood destroying insect report is provided at no additional charge.

Berenz Home Inspections 360° is New York State licensed and insured. We offer competitive rates, quality service and provide same day reporting.  We are proudly serving all of Nassau and Suffolk counties, so call Matt today to see why he is becoming one of the leading home inspectors on Long Island!!