The Secret to Managing Household Ants is to Know Which Foods They are Most Attracted to

Ants play an important role in nature as beneficial insects yet become troublesome when they enter homes. To manage ants effectively you must identify their species characteristics and find their nests after understanding their biology. One of the main aspects of biology that should be understood is what ants eat and which foods they are most attracted to. Continue reading to learn more.

Why Ants Enter Homes

Ants invade homes for two main reasons: Ants enter homes because they need to establish new colonies or to search for food and water sources.

Starting New Colonies

Certain ant species generate winged ants which swarm together to mate before starting new colonies. If there are no ideal outdoor locations to nest, ants will enter into various structures such as sheds, barns, and homes to seek out locations where they may nest. If you see ants inside of your home, they are likely starting a new colony and they are attracted to the interior of your home because certain foods are present and attracting them. If you see winged ants swarming within your home, it means that there is an existing colony within the structure.

How to Tell Winged Ants from Termites

• If the winged insect has antennae that looks like hair, the wings are of equal size and there is no narrow waist, it is a termite.
• If the winged insect that you see has antennae that is elbowed, a narrow waist and has long front wings and short hind wings, it is a winged ant.

Food and Water Sources

Worker ants within a colony are the ones that will search for food and water sources. As they move throughout an area, they will create chemical trails that help guide other ants in the colony to the food and water sources that they find within a structure. The ant colony will then receive food supplies from them. This includes the larvae of the colony and the queen of the colony. The pharaoh ant larvae will digest the solid food in order to ensure that they are able to support their colony. The following will outline the various types of ants that are commonly found in the interior region of the of homes and will provide a little information in regards to their appearance, their nesting sites, and the foods that they prefer:

1. Pharoah Ants – These ants are typically 1/12 to 1/16^th of an inch and are reddish in color. Many may be light tan. They like to nest in warm spots that are near water sources. Examples of nesting locations in the home include the voids of the walls and light sockets. They prefer to eat other insects and like honeydew that is sugary.
2. Carpenter Ants – These types of ants are as small as ¼ of an inch to ½ of an inch. They typically have jet black abdominal cavities and bodies that are a dull red color. They construct their nests with dead wood. If they make it into the home, they have the capability of destroying the wood components. These ants are attracted to fruits that are decaying and various types of sweets.
3. Red Imported Fire Ant – These types of ants are reddish or brown in color. They usually construct nests in the soil outside, but if there is a lot of dry heat or there is flooding, they may make their way indoors. These ants cause very painful stings and the recipient of these stings will usually feel a burning sensation and may also experience blisters. Fire ants like a wide assortment of foods ranging from insects to invertebrates wot honeydew, and anything with sugar in it.

Simple Strategies for Managing Ants Indoors

If you are reading this, it is quite likely that you have discovered ants on the interior of your home. The first step to eliminating the ants is to learn exactly which foods attract the insects the most. These are as follows:

• Pet Foods
• Baking Ingredients
• Sugar of Any Form
• Any Type of Carbohydrate
• Meats
• Vegetables
• Grease
• Fruit

In short, just about any type of food that you consume will attract ants. These insects are not considered to be picky when it comes to consumption. They are all considered to be omnivores. In addition to the foods in your kitchen, ants will also consume arachnids, insects, leaves, grass, and fungus. They will also be attracted to any source of liquid -be it water, tea, or any other liquid.

Once you figure out what foods and liquids are attractive to ants, you should take steps to prevent the ants from identifying these substances in your home. The following outlines some steps that you may take in order to prevent ants from picking up a trail to the foods that are within your home:

1. If you must store food, you should only store it in containers that are considered to be “air-tight”. You should avoid storing foods in bags or in the original containers that they came in as these are unable to block the scent from ants that are on the search for foods.
2. Your kitchen should be cleaned thoroughly and should be cleaned often. If just one crumb is in your kitchen, ants will immediately start to find their way insider in order to search for other foods. You should sweep, vacuum, and mop as often as possible. All counters should be cleaned completely, and your stove, refrigerator, and deep freezers should be moved and cleaning should be down where they have been.
3. If you keep pet food in your kitchen and feed your pets indoors, you should keep their food insider of airtight containers, avoid leaving bowls out and you should discard any leftover pet food immediately. If you must leave food and water out for your pets purchase ant-proof food and water containers. These have a section around each water and food section that you place water in and ants are unable to access the food as they will not cross the water section and if they do, they will typically drown.
4. If you have plants growing near your home and insects are producing honeydew on them, you should take the steps that are necessary to control them.
5. If you have faucets that are dropping or you have other types of plumbing leaks, you should make the necessary repairs immediately.
6. If there is wet or rotten wood in or near your home, you should remove it immediately.
7. If you have mulch and landscape rocks near your home’s foundation, move them immediately. These keep the soil moist and ants absolutely love moist soil.

How to Remove Nesting Sites and Keep Ants Completely Away from the Home

1. The first step you should take is to inspect the house thoroughly and caulk any cracks and crevices that you may find.
2. Look at the weatherstripping located around the doors and the windows of the home. If it needs replaced, replace it.
3. If there are dense levels of vegetation located around the home, remove it.
4. If there are any types of ivy growing on your home, you should cut it down immediately.
5. If you have rain gutters on your home, you should get them cleaned regularly as ants will try to nest in the gutters if they become clogged with debris from trees and so on and so forth.
6. If you have firewood that you stock up on, be certain to store it in a location away from your home. If trees are growing near your home, trim the limbs because ants will use limbs to gain access to your home.
7. Do not bring firewood or plants that are potted into your home if they are infested with ants as this will not end well.

Analyze the Problem

If you see ants in your home, you should watch them and take note of their habits. Watch them in the daytime and the nighttime hours. See what they are attracted to and what areas of the home that they are found at. You should follow any trails that you see to observe where the foraging ants are heading.

You can even make a bait station that lures the ants as this will trick them into revealing where the nest is in the home. If you are able to, follow them to the outdoor nests. If you have insecticide, you need to spray it on the nest and not just random trails of ants.

Contact Us Today

We here at All Pest are certified and specially trained to handle all ant problems. If you see an ant, give us a call and say “Uncle” and we will be right out to take over and finish the job. You may call us today at the following phone number: 765-259-0043 In addition to exterminations, we also specialize in home inspections, and a full range of pest control services. Call now to learn more!