How to Get Rid of Ants in the Kitchen in Lexington, KY

IPM Pest and Termite • June 27, 2016

There is nothing more irritating than having ants in your kitchen and home. These pesky little creatures can be difficult to manage and get rid of through typical home remedy treatments. Luckily, there are a few things that can be tried to remove ants from your house.

Ants are small insects that live in colonies ranging in size from 300,000 to 500,000 ants. The typical worker ant can live up to 7 years, while the queen can live up to 15 years. If you have ants in your home, then the nest is usually nearby in your lawn, in tree stumps, in your walls or under your foundation. The worker ants forage from the nearby nest into your home through tiny cracks and entryways to look for food and water. These ants leave pheromone scent trails that other ants can follow to locate food or water. Before you know it, the one worker ant foraging in your home has multiplied into hundreds of ants in your kitchen!

Removing ants from your home can be very difficult because the colony has so many of them. Home remedies and DIY treatments typically do not work because they only treat the ants we can see and do not treat the thousands of ants in the nest. While the best way to ensure ants are completely removed is through professional pest removal, there are some simple things that can be done to prevent ants from getting into your home.

The first thing you should do to remove ants from your home is to eliminate favorable conditions for ants, such as food and water. Promptly remove food and crumbs from your counters and sanitize the area. Remove standing water around your sinks. Clean the areas around your cabinets, stove, microwave, and dishwasher often. Take out the garbage regularly.
Mopping the floors thoroughly using a 1:4 vinegar to water solution can remove the pheromone trails left by the ants. Removing the ant trails will prevent other ants from following the scent into your kitchen.
If necessary, you can also try placing ant bait traps around your home. The liquid bait attracts sweet-loving ants and the solid bait attracts other ants. The traps should be replaced every two weeks. If the ants still persist, then the nest needs to be eradicated using a professional pest removal company.
It is also beneficial to prevent ants from entering your home by caulking and sealing any holes or cracks in the exterior. Also, a 12-inch band of insecticide ant barrier can be sprayed around the foundation of the home to deter ants from entering. To prevent ants from entering through entryways and doors, clean the areas with detergent.
If anthills are visibly present in your yard, spray the area with an outdoor insecticide. After mowing the yard, treat the area again with an ant killer. Also, trim any bushes or ant loving areas around doors and windows.

If the ants persist and are still foraging in your home and kitchen, you need to contact a professional pest control company, such as IPM Pest and Termite Management. The pest control professionals can locate the nest and remove it using strong ant insecticides. IPM Pest and Termite Management, the best Lexington pest control company, has the skills and tools to get rid of ants in your kitchen and throughout your home.

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