What Every Sacramento Homeowner Needs To Know About Ant Prevention

May 8, 2020

It's no fun to deal with ants. Let's be honest, they're gross. But when ants get into your Sacramento home, they can be more than just a nuisance. Ants can be a mechanical vector for harmful organisms. Some ants contract and transmit harmful pathogens. And there is one type of ant that can do damage to property. That is why Sacramento homeowners should know everything they can about ant prevention. Here are a few tips that will start you in the right direction.

Control Moisture

Moisture can be a catalyst for all sorts of problems. Moisture can lead to plant decay which attracts plant-damaging insects that produce honeydew, a food source for many ants. Moisture can lead to wood rot, which attracts carpenter ants and other wood-destroying pests. Water is also a building block of life. All pests need to drink. If you provide a drink for them, you'll have more pests around your home, including ants.

Tips to control moisture:

Make sure your gutters, splash blocks, and downspouts are working properly.
Trim trees and bushes to allow sunlight into shaded areas and to increase airflow.
Store items that collect rainwater.
Address conditions that allow puddles to form.
Water your plants in the morning.

Remove Food Sources

There are many things that ants feed on. When you reduce food options, you remove one of the essential reasons ants come near your home. Some food sources are obvious. Others are not so obvious.

Tips to remove food sources:

Move bird feeders away from your home.
Make sure your trash receptacles are clean.
Refrain from leaving trash bags on a floor or on the ground.
Refrain from feeding pets outside.
Address conditions that increase insect populations, such as exterior lights.
Keep your plants as healthy as possible.

Remove Organic Debris

When leaves, grass clippings, brush piles, wood piles, and other organic debris lay in your yard, you're going to attract ants. These promote moisture buildup underneath and provide an important food source for ants: bugs.

Tips to remove organic debris:

Rake leaves away from your home, and remove them from your property.
Use a bag on your lawnmower to collect and remove grass clippings.
Move brush and wood piles at least 20 feet from your home.
Remove stumps and logs from your yard.
Never bury wood on your property.
Address trees that have heart rot, especially if they are near your home.

Seal Entry Points

When ants explore your exterior, it is important that they don't find easy entry points into your home. While you won't be able to remove all of the tiny openings that ants can use to get in, your efforts are not in vain. You can have an impact.

Tips to remove potential entry points for ants:

Make sure you have working door sweeps and weatherstripping installed around all of your exterior doors.
Make sure your screens are in good working condition.
Apply caulk around door and window frames and use it to fill holes created by wood-damaging pests.
Seal gaps around pipes, wire conduit, and other exterior wall penetrations.
Seal cracks in your foundation wall.

How Neighborly Pest Management Can Help

If you want the best protection possible, you need routine treatments from a trusted pest control provider like Neighborly Pest Management. These treatments work to repel and eliminate organisms that try to get into your home. Our ongoing pest control services also include solutions that address ant colonies around your home. This stops the problem at the root rather than just attacking the symptom. If you'd like to talk to us about service for your home, reach out to us. We're standing by to assist you with all your Sacramento pest control needs.

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