Are Ants Invading Your Home? Tips On What To Do
We have all experienced it: the ant invasion. The tiny insects march in a line like military soldiers, invading our countertops, cabinets, and baseboards. These pesky insects are exceptionally difficult to get rid of, as many people will attest to. To be able to combat these unwanted creatures, it helps to understand when and why they become a problem in the first place.
What Month Do Ants Come Out?
Like the sunrise every morning, you can almost set a clock to the season when tiny ants will appear in your home. Their appearance is seasonal, and springtime seems like their favorite time to manifest. During the spring, hibernation is over, and food is in plentiful supply. Ants like warmth and easy access to food. That is why on a cool night in spring, you may wake up the next morning to find what looks like a sprinkling of pepper on your counter … until it starts moving.
The ants are attracted by the heat in your home and that little bit of sugar that spilled out from your teaspoon last night. One of the best ways to not have an ant problem in the first place is to store food away in proper containers and always clean up after eating. But, alas, we cannot control the weather. And, unfortunately, despite your best efforts at storing food the right way, you could find ants anyway because they also seem to like to enter human homes when it is raining outside.
What Time of Day Do Ants Come Out
It may appear as if ants are nocturnal since they seem to appear overnight, out of nowhere. However, weather conditions have a lot more to do with when ants come out of hibernation. The exception to this rule would be carpenter ants, which are nocturnal and come out after dark. They are found along fences, fallen tree limbs or water hoses, parading in their characteristic straight line.
At the first hint of spring or even in late winter, you might see a few ants become active. Once the first few come out, they are paving the way for the rest of the army. Once you get four or five days of temperatures above freezing, more of them will come out of their hiding places and they may decide to take up residence in your home.
The queen is pickier and only becomes active after the weather has been warm for a full two weeks. But, this is the point where those with a fear of insects need to run and take cover. Once the queen is awakened, the whole nest comes alive!
When Do Ants Go Away?
Ants will eventually go back into hibernation when the weather gets colder. Until then, there are a few things you can do early in the game to minimize the problem. At the first sign of infestation, it is important to identify their entry points or places they are coming in. Secondly, try to determine why the ants were attracted to the inside of your home. Did you leave remnants of last night’s doughnut run on the table top? Is the sugar bowl open? Find the culprit and get rid of it as soon as possible.
Products, such as window cleaners, can have an amazing effect when you’re trying to get rid of ant colonies. In fact, a whiff of any strong chemical can send the army of ants packing. Once the areas are cleaned up, be sure to place bait at the entry points and your seasonal ant problem should be history. That is, until next year.
If you are experiencing an ant infestation and do not know what to do. Do not hesitate and contact the professionals at NJ Pest. We know how annoying these tiny little creatures can be. Let us help you to get rid of them for good.
