Whenever you are in your kitchen, it can be pretty annoying if you always see ants roaming around. They are not the most dangerous pests in the world, but they can be hard to deal with because of their overwhelming numbers and resilience. But why do you keep finding ants in your kitchen?
It’s important to know the reasons why ants keep going into your kitchen so you know what to fix.
1. You have food crumbs in and around your kitchen
Ants are attracted to food. This may not come as a surprise to you, but many home owners neglect this fact.
If you leave food crumbs in and around your kitchen, you are basically inviting ants to invade your space. After preparing a meal or eating, make sure to always clean up so there are no crumbs lying around for ants to grab. Give particular attention to countertops and tables.
2. You don’t clean spilled drinks and stains
Even if you clean your kitchen regularly, you may still miss some spots here and there. This is especially true if you are not aware that there is a mess at a particular spot.
One good example of this is a spilled drink or stain. Many home owners don’t give particular attention to small water spills from their glasses and juice stains from their pitchers. These can be attractive water sources for ants.
3. You leave dishes in the sink
Dirty dishes in the sink are a haven for ants. This is because they have both food and water. After eating, make sure to take care of the dishes immediately so you don’t attract ants into your kitchen.
If for some reason you can’t attend to the dishes immediately, try to clear the dishes of leftovers and keep them dry in the sink. This can minimize the risk of finding ants in your kitchen.
4. You don’t seal your garbage bins
Food and water are not just found in your countertops, tables, sinks, and other parts of your kitchen. They can also be found in your garbage bins. Ants are opportunistic. They will invade any spot where they can find food and water. Your garbage bins are no exception.
To avoid finding ants in your kitchen, cover your garbage bins.
5. You don’t store your food properly
One of the most annoying things that can happen in your kitchen is when you open a food container and you see that it is being invaded by ants. As said earlier, ants are opportunistic. If food and water is accessible in a specific spot, they will get to that spot and get the resources that they need.
Store your food in the appropriate places and containers. Put them in refrigerators, airtight containers, and kitchen cabinets. This goes for pet food as well.
6. You have drips or leaks in your plumbing
Sometimes, you can still keep finding ants in your kitchen even if you make all your food and water inaccessible for these pests. Your home’s infrastructure may be failing you.
There may be something wrong with your kitchen’s plumbing that is providing water for ants. Give particular attention to dripping faucets and leaking pipes. If you can’t DIY your way out of your plumbing problems, you can always call a plumber.
7. There are crevices in your doors and windows
Your kitchen doors and windows can be passageways for ants to get into your space. Make sure to always keep them closed to prevent uninvited guests.
If you still keep finding ants in your kitchen even if you keep your doors and windows closed, they may have crevices in them that are still big enough for ants to squeeze through.
Give particular attention to your doors’ bottom sides and windows’ edges. You can cover them with seals and weather strips.
8. There are cracks or holes in your walls
Be attentive of cracks or holes in your kitchen walls. They leave your kitchen open to pests from outside, such as ants.
Cracks or holes in your walls are not just passageways for ants. They can also be the perfect spots for ants to build their nests. Prevent an ant infestation in your home by sealing all cracks and holes where ants can pass through or reside.
9. There is an ant nest in or around your home
If you already do a lot of measures to prevent ants from getting into your kitchen but still find these critters, it’s time to think that there may be a nest somewhere in or around your home.
Inside your home, they are mostly found in structural damage such as cracks and holes. They can thrive both in cement and wood. Outside your home, they can be found in your garden, lawn, or yard. Inspect shady areas in particular, especially those with a lot of soil, such as under trees and bushes.
There are simple ways to get rid of the ant nest. You can spray insecticide directly at it or pour boiling water into it.
But keep in mind that you are only truly getting rid of the ant nest if you kill the queen. If you can’t kill the queen, she will just reproduce to replenish her colony.
Prevent ants from getting into your kitchen
Getting rid of ants in your kitchen is not as hard as you think. Just examine the reasons enumerated above why you keep finding ants in your kitchen. If you know the reason why you are attracting ants into your kitchen, you can work on fixing that specifically.
Make food and water inaccessible for ants by keeping your kitchen clean, storing food properly, and fixing plumbing problems. Seal off possible entry points such as the crevices in your doors and windows and cracks and holes in your walls.
Get rid of the ants permanently by attacking their nest. There are so many ways to get rid of ants and their nest. You can use chemicals such as ant sprays and repellents. You can use poisons such as ant baits. You can also go natural and use boiling water and pour it directly into their nest.
Follow these tips and you won’t be finding ants in your kitchen anymore.