How to Ant-proof Your Food Storage
The current COVID-19 crisis has brought a lot of uncertainty to the world. As we all take part in social distancing, let’s remember to limit our amount of time spent in public spaces. For grocery shopping, try your best to make each trip worthwhile by buying in bulk without buying in excess. For many, that means getting creative with food storage. We’ll explain how you can ant-proof your home and keep stored food safe.
Ants
Like many of the insects we try to exterminate, ants are highly resilient and organized. If an ant finds a store of food, it can lead other ants to it. This is why it’s vital to prevent ants in the first place. Once one knows, the entire colony is sure to follow.
Airtight Sealed Containers
No matter what you do, it’s almost impossible to seal off your home from ants. They can get into tiny cracks in your walls or crawl inside your floorboards and can even make colonies inside your home. Since you can’t stop them, the best way to prevent ants from becoming a persistent problem is to cut them off from what they want—a source of food.
This is where airtight containers come in handy. You won’t have to worry about canned foods or sealed bags of cereal, but be very wary of storing open containers of food. You might not think much of an open bag of dog food in your garage, but ants can eat more than their fill from that alone. Consider a pet food container with a resealable screw top.
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Deterrents
Let’s say you already have an ant problem near your food storage, and you want to keep them away from snooping even near your food. In this situation, you can use some deterrents, some of them you probably already have laying around the house.
Ants navigate by their sense of smell and through pheromones. You can disrupt this with certain smells that ants abhor. For example, lemon juice, coffee, peppermint oil, and vinegar are all commonly known ant deterrents. Leave some coffee grounds by any ant entry points. Wipe down the outside of containers with a white vinegar and water mixture. All of these can be effective tools against ants getting into your food storage
Professional Help
While some of these DIY tips can help, there are over 12,000 species of ants. No solution is one-size-fits-all. While you can store your food safely, that can’t prevent ants from getting into your home altogether. Luckily, the experts at Hopper Termite & Pest have the experience and expertise to clear your home of any ant problem. We are open during this crisis because we offer an essential service to the community. From termites to rodents to ants, we know how to fully protect your home from these invasive little pests.
We can use sealants, traps, and can even rescreen your foundation to keep your home pest-free. When we need to use liquid deterrents, we use chemicals with a low environmental impact. These use plant or tree oils as active ingredients. That means effective pest control without pollution and harsh chemicals unless absolutely necessary.
Lastly, we are taking serious precautions due to the novel coronavirus. We don’t want anyone to feel like they have to deal with their pest problem because they are afraid of our technicians. We work fast and effectively while maintaining a clean and safe environment for you and your family.
To learn more about our pest control services in Arkansas, give us a call at (870)425-4122 or fill out an online contact form to request a consultation.