Stopping Ants in Their Tracks

Their Mighty Numbers Are No Match for Us

After a rainy and cold winter, spring has finally sprung in New Jersey. It won’t be long before we get to enjoy those backyard barbecues, beach days and nights by the fire. But as we emerge from our own hibernation, there are other critters that will be doing the same. After staying dormant all winter, ants become most active during the spring and summer months. As pestering as ants can be, there are ways to prevent them from entering your home as unwelcome summer guests.

Don’t Make Life Easy for the Foragers

What we see as leftover food crumbs, ants see as a picnic. Ants are very social creatures that operate under a caste system. The caste contains different types of ants including workers, soldiers, the queen, etc. (If you’ve ever seen the movie “Antz,” you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about!) The worker ants are the ones that forage for food and use their keen sense of smell to find whatever food is most readily available. Fruits or crumbs left on the kitchen counter create an open invitation for these foragers. They’re on a mission to find food for the colony and if you make it easy for them, they’ll make themselves right at home.

One of the most common types of ants in New Jersey is the sugar ant. Unfortunately, they don’t get their name for being sweet. They’re most drawn to sugary foods such as fruits, candy, cakes and more. Another name for sugar ants is odorous ants due to the foul odor they emit when they’re squashed and killed. These are the smaller ants you’ll see in places like the food pantry or near food/crumbs on the kitchen counter. The ants we see outside on the sidewalk or driveway are often referred to as pavement ants. These ants are very similar to sugar ants. The main difference is that pavement ants will nest near or below sidewalks, driveways, etc. while sugar ants prefer to nest indoors.

The best way to prevent any type of ant infestation in your home is to keep your home clean and clutter-free—especially the kitchen. Be sure to properly seal your food and store any ripe fruit in the refrigerator. Wipe down the kitchen counters regularly, sweep the floors and wipe/clean any sticky jars before putting them away. These little things make a huge difference for keeping the foragers outside and away from your home.

How Do Ants Enter the House?

Knowing how small ants are, their ability to enter our homes is unsurprising. Any type of small hole or void in the home becomes fair game for ants. One common entry point is through the spaces around pipes that enter the home. Also, if any trees, bushes and/or branches are touching the home, ants can climb and enter your home through any higher-up holes or voids. Homes that are most protected from ant infestations are those that are properly sealed from the outside and clean on the inside. 

How We Shake Up the Colony & Eliminate Ant Infestations

If you see a huge congregation of ants in your home, don’t panic. Just give our NJ pest control company a call and we’ll be on the scene in no time. You’ll want to be especially proactive if the ants in your home are carpenter ants. These are wood-destroying ants that, unlike sugar ants, can cause structural damage to your home. 

Here’s what we’ll do upon arrival to treat the ant infestation:

1. Assess the home and seal any cracks, holes and/or crevices where ants might be entering through the exterior. We’ll also seal the areas around any pipes entering through the home. Cutting off any and all entry points is the first step to worsening an existing infestation and preventing new ones from occurring.

2. Spray and treat the exterior around the entire foundation. The treatment we use here at Bustabug Pest Control is EPA-approved and entirely safe for humans and pets.

3. Set up indoor traps in the areas where you’ve seen the ants.

4. Post-treatment follow-up – Seven days after the initial treatment, we’ll revisit your home and reapply the treatment as-needed. From there, we’ll re-treat your home every three months to prevent future infestations.

Enjoy a Sweet, Ant-Free Summer With Bustabug! 

You’ll never get through a summer in New Jersey without seeing ants. But that doesn’t mean you need to see them at home. Whether ants have been a problem in the past or you’re seeing more ants in your home and you don’t know why, give the team at Bustabug a call. We’ll be happy to assess your home and help uncover what’s causing the ants and, more importantly, how to eliminate them for good.

Give us a call at 973.919.1279 or contact us online to get rid of those pesky ants and get back to enjoying the beautiful warm weather!