In Like A Lion Out With Ants?

In like a lion… out like a lamb! March in Middle Tennessee brings unexpected weather. This March we’ve already experience cold, brutal wind, snow and today… glorious 60+ degrees and sunny! We may not be able to predict the weather… but we can predict that most homeowners and businesses will experience ants this time of year. Since you are likely to run across trailing ants in the next few weeks, we want to share with you what to do and not to do when you run into these persistent pesky pests!

Often times when we spot ants in the kitchen our first thought is to kill them! And what’s the closest weapon in the kitchen? Household cleaners! It makes sense that these chemicals will kill ants, but unfortunately household cleaners are not the best solution to get rid of ants in Nashville and Middle Tennessee.

Sure, a few quick sprays of an antibacterial cleaner will kill the ants you see wandering around your kitchen, but this is not effective in getting to the root of the issue... the ant colony. Household cleaners are not the best solution because they will kill the foraging ants instantly, not giving them a chance to bring the poisons back to the rest of the colony. The ants that you are seeing foraging around for food are just the tip of the iceberg and are just members of a much larger colony. By killing just the ants that you see, you will not be able to locate the colony nor really resolve your entire ant problem.

Also, by continuously spraying your favorite blue cleaner, you will remove the ant’s pheromone trails, which causes the other ants to create new paths so they will come from different areas in the home. Seems a little strange, but it’s actually best to leave this invisible ant trail untainted because it will allow the pest control professionals to more easily locate the ant colony. By forcing ants to take new paths, it will be much harder to find and treat the ant colony.

So, what should you do if you find foraging ants in your kitchen? Hold back on the sprays and try these simple ant prevention tips:

• Cut back trees and bushes touching your home; they provide an easy pathway for ants to gain access to your home

• Fix leaks and moisture issues around your windows; just like us, ants need water to survive

• Clean out gutters and rake leaf piles away from your foundation; dead, decaying leaves offer harborage for ants

• Don't leave pet food sitting out all day long; yummy treat, enough said!

• Don't be tempted to leave dirty dishes out to clean later; 1 crumb can feed a colony...well, not quite, but you get it

But if you find these ant prevention tips are not enough, you can always contact All-American Pest Control for our effective ant control services. Our pest control technicians have the knowledge and experience to accurately locate the ant colony and will develop a pest control plan that eliminates these nuisance pests.

To learn more about how to get rid of ants in Nashville and surrounding Middle Tennessee communities, please contact All-American today. Our Nashville pest control team is ready to help eliminate ants that are in your home now and prevent future ant infestations. Ah, now doesn’t that sound better than non-stop ant killing with your kitchen cleaners?