Ant Prevention Tips

Sometimes, it seems like ants are a fact of life here in Michigan. Is it even possible to prevent them? At Griffin Pest Solutions, we believe there are a few things you can do to make a big difference to preventing an ant problem. Our ant prevention tips essentially boil down to removing the things they need to make your house their home. What are they?

3 Easy Ant Prevention Tips for Your Home

Ants need three things to make your house their home, and it makes sense why they need them. 

The first is moisture. Ants need water to survive, just like every animal and insect. If they can’t hydrate, they’ll eventually die of thirst. If they can’t find somewhere with a water source, they’ll go somewhere else.

Tips for Eliminating Moisture in Your Home:

• Fix leaky pipes and routinely check under sinks for areas of moisture.
• Use a dehumidifier in damp basements or crawl spaces.
• Ensure downspouts and gutters are functioning properly.

Ants need to eat to survive, and if you’ve ever dealt with ants before, this probably doesn’t come as a surprise. You’ll frequently see them swarming areas where food was left out, carrying crumbs home via their line. These crumbs help sustain their colony and make the problem worse for you. 

Tips for Eliminating Ants’ Access to Food:

• Keep your kitchen clean and free of crumbs.
• Wipe down counters and sweep floors regularly.
• Store any food in airtight containers and keep ripe fruit in the refrigerator.

Want to prevent ants from getting into your home? Don’t let them inside. Sounds simple, right? All kidding aside, many homeowners don’t realize that it is possible to seal off entry points which will greatly reduce your chances of infestation. An experienced pest control professional knows where to look to find vulnerable areas.

Need An Estimate for Ant Control?

Tips for Preventing Ants from Getting Inside:

• Routinely inspect your property for cracks or other entry points and seal them.
• Double-check that your windows and doors don’t have cracks or install screens to help keep pests out.
• Have a professional take a look.

Does Natural Ant Prevention Help?

Have you heard of planting mint around the perimeter of your home to keep away local ant species? Or how about using vinegar solution, cayenne pepper, spreading diatomaceous earth, cinnamon, or even black pepper? All of these have been touted as a potential DIY ant control solution.

Here’s the truth: if you use any of these while there is no active infestation, they may have some small effect in making your property less attractive to ants. If you want to use one of these DIY ant control methods to stop an active infestation, however, it probably won’t work. Although these all-natural methods may have slight preventative properties, they’re not strong enough to treat an ongoing infestation.

Check out our recent blog for more tips on Spring Cleaning and Preventing Pests from getting inside.

How to Keep Ants Out Long-Term

Ants are relentless. Sometimes, ant prevention doesn’t work. When this happens, call the professional ant exterminators at Griffin Pest Solutions. We have years of experience keeping ants out of Michigan homes and businesses and we’re proven to get results.

For more information on ant prevention in Michigan, call us today!