How to prevent ants

Ants are the quintessential uninvited guest who invites the entire family to your home, and all it takes is one ant to lead to an infestation. Once an ant finds a food source in your home, it lays down a pheromone trail back to the hive, and its comrades will take that trail straight to your home. Here are some ways to prevent ants from coming into your house.

Remove Food Sources

If there is nothing in your home to provide sustenance for ants, they won't target your house.

• Keep your house clean. Sweep up food spills immediately. Wipe counters and other surfaces with mild bleach or a vinegar solution. Vacuum regularly. Keep the sink clean and clear of food and standing water.
• Store food in airtight containers. Cupboards have cracks and other tiny spaces through which ants can travel and smell food.

Physically Keep Them Out

This is particularly important if you have seen an ant or ants coming in from a certain entrance.

• Block all gaps through which ants can enter. Fill gaps in windows, doors, walls, etc. with caulk.
• Be careful with anti-ant chemicals and deterrents. Substances like diatomaceous earth (which sucks all the moisture from the ants' bodies), ant poisons, and talcs can be dangerous to curious pets and children.
• Consider natural, non-toxic deterrents. These include spices like cayenne pepper, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, and bay leaves, and pungent aromatics like vinegar and peppermint oil.

Break the Trail

Ants need the pheromone trail laid down by the scout ant to locate your home. By breaking it, you will prevent them from finding their way there.

• Squish the scout(s). As soon as you see a lone ant milling about, kill it so that it can't make it back to its hive. If there are more, make sure none of them survives. One way is to throw some water on them and wipe them up with a paper towel. If you use a vacuum, you will need to add salt or diatomaceous earth to ensure that survivors don't crawl out of the vacuum.
• Spray with household cleaner or mild bleach. Then, wipe the area down.

Bait Them

This works by giving the scout ant(s) a poisonous substance to take back to the hive, where it will spread and kill the colony over time. There are commercially available ant traps, but if you want to DIY, follow these steps.

• Set out the bait. This can be in a low dish or upturned lid. If you have pets and/or children, use a container with gaps big enough for ants to get in but not big enough for pets or children to access. Try this DIY container: Put the bait in the bottom of a can, then smoosh it, leaving a gap where ants can enter.

Seek Out Professionals

If you have more ants than you can handle with these methods, or different kinds of ants, you should definitely call in the professionals.