Ants are the most common pest found in households across the country. While they may seem like nothing more than a nuisance, they can actually cause a great deal of property damage, contaminate food, and leave painful bites. One of the first places ants gravitate toward is the kitchen. As such, if you want to keep them out of your home, it’s a good idea to focus your pest control efforts there. Here are a few preventive steps you can take to ward off an ant infestation.

How to Keep Ants Out of the Kitchen

1. Eliminate Entry Points 

Ant prevention starts with making sure there isn’t anywhere the small creatures can easily get indoors. Inspect your doors and windows for cracks and gaps around the frame, and check your screens for rips and tears. If necessary, seal up potential entrances with caulking and weatherstripping, and replace damaged screens. A pest control professional can also be helpful in identifying possible access points.

2. Maintain a Clean Space 

If you want to keep ants out of your kitchen, you must be vigilant about cleaning the space. Wipe up crumbs and spills right away, sweep and mop the floor regularly, and scrub the countertops following any food preparation or cooking. Be sure to clean around the appliances often, as well, and don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink. 

3. Remove Food & Water Sources 

The reason ants enter your kitchen is to find food and water. Thus, your home will be much less attractive if you remove all sources that can draw them in. Put your food and your pet’s food in tightly sealed containers, and have dripping faucets and leaky pipes repaired. It’s also important for pest control to take the trash out frequently and ensure it’s sealed up when inside.  

Coming across even a single ant in your kitchen can be cause for concern because there’s a good chance many more are nearby. If you need help keeping your home ant-free, turn to Select Pest Control. They offer effective and affordable pest control solutions to homeowners throughout the Greater Cincinnati, OH, area. With more than three decades of industry experience, they understand how to stop unwanted creatures from wreaking havoc on your living environment. Call (513) 352-0080 to request a job estimate, or visit them online to view a full list of services they provide.