COVID-19 has affected all of us, whether directly or indirectly. Even something as simple as grocery shopping has changed. Since so many of us are trying to limit our time outside of our homes, we are seeing a trend toward buying in bulk. Unfortunately, if food isn’t stored well, you might end up with a pest problem. We’ll explain how you can store your food and not stress about a pest problem!
How to Keep Ants Out of Your Kitchen
Ants are one of the most common pests around. They are extremely organized when they find a cache of food. Ants can get into more things than you would think because they are so small. The best way to prevent ants from getting into your things is to prevent them from finding them in the first place.
Small cracks in your home can be sealed up and filled and generally cleaning your home can discourage ants from searching for food. You may not think much of leaving dirty dishes from the night before, but it might be the motivator for months of ants searching your home for another big meal.
Use Airtight Food Storage Containers to Keep Out Pests
Utilize airtight storage containers when you can. This is especially useful for things like bulk dog food which may not have the best seal. Don’t trust all packaging to be ant-proof.
Canned food and sealed bags will be fine, but once you open any package the risk factor jumps way up.
How to Deter Ants
You won’t be able to make your home airtight. There will always be small cracks or openings where ants can get through. This is where deterrents come into play. This will keep them from even sniffing your food storage.
Ants navigate via their sense of smell and pheromones. The primary way to disrupt this is by overwhelming them with smells that they hate.
Some of the common ingredients you can use to deter ants include:
- Coffee
- Lemon juice
- Vinegar
Leaving some coffee grounds near areas where you know ants come into your home will do a lot to discourage them. If they’ve managed to get into your pantry and you still don’t know where they’re coming from, then consider wiping down food containers with a water and vinegar solution.
Get creative with these tools you have in the fight against ants. If you know where a section of their ant trail is, wiping it down with your vinegar and water mixture can break the chain and stop ants from utilizing that area.
Sometimes You Just Need to Call the Pros
There are literally thousands of species of ants. While they have commonalities that link them together, at the same time, they present unique problems. If you still have an ant problem after using some of these tips, you should consider consulting an ant control expert.
The pros at Arizona’s Best Choice Pest & Termite Services have over 20 years of experience as a company. We’ve probably seen a pest problem worse than the one you’re experiencing. We offer a guarantee that you will get results from our treatment. We utilize best in class technology and equipment to attack pests and insects head-on.
Keep in mind that we are taking COVID-19 very seriously. The health of our customers and technicians is our number one priority. We are used to wearing a lot of personal protective equipment while we work, but are taking extra precautions as well.
Call Arizona’s Best Choice Pest & Termite Services at (480) 986-8500 to learn more about our Phoenix-area pest control services, or fill out an online contact form to schedule a free inspection to get an estimate on our anti-pest plan.