At Titan Pest & Wildlife, we are pest control experts! We will help you understand some of the common reasons this happens.
It’s always frustrating to wake up one day to find ants in your kitchen. You may have lived in your house for decades and have never had an issue. Ants are troublesome little insects. A handful can be enough to infest your kitchen or another area of your home altogether. And getting rid of them is not an easy task. So why do you suddenly have ants in your home?
They Found a Food or Water Source
Ants are in a constant search for food and water. Whenever an infestation happens suddenly, the most likely cause is that they found food in your house. Most ants are opportunistic feeders, and they eat just about everything. They are attracted to a wide variety of food sources, some including:
- Sugar
- Syrup
- Honey
- Juice
- Fats
- Meat
- Breadcrumbs
- Any food trash
Once they find food, colonies can form long trails of thousands of ants to link them to the source.
Another critical aspect of their survival is water. Even a small water source can keep them hydrated for a long time. The more reliable the water source, the closer the colony will stay. Therefore, if ants find a source in your kitchen, you’ll discover them suddenly one morning.
Tips to Keep Ants Out
Whether you’ve had ants in your house before or not, you have them now because they found something in your home that they need. Therefore, the best way to keep them out is through prevention.
You may assume that keeping your kitchen and home clean means not worrying about an ant infestation. While it is definitely helpful, it might not always be the answer. For instance, you may keep your kitchen spotless, but ants might be attracted to your pantry if foods aren’t properly stored. Dry goods need to be sealed tightly, and this includes pet food.
As mentioned above, ants need water. If you look at your kitchen, you may not notice any standing water, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there. Standing water under the refrigerator or dishwasher may not be visible to you, but ants will know it’s there. Anything outside your home that contains water, such as flowerpots, buckets, gutters, and other containers, may attract ants. If the water source is near your kitchen, the ants may have hit the jackpot!
What Should You Do?
Well, now you know why you have ants all of a sudden. Now, what should you do? There are a lot of DIY methods you can find online. On occasion, these work – it all depends on your situation. But most people find that it’s only temporary even if they get rid of them.
At Titan Pest & Wildlife, we have experienced ant exterminators. We know it takes more than just killing the ants you see trailing through your kitchen. It’s essential to find out where they’re coming from and what hidden sources they may have discovered in your home.
