During your time at home you notice one or two ants and because they are so small and look harmless, you do not think much of them. As time progresses you notice more of them so you set a few traps. Although ant traps may help in killing some of the ants, the truth is by the time you do end up setting traps, you may already be well on your way to developing an ant infestation.

In most cases, you did not do anything wrong or out of the ordinary to cause this infestation. However, there are still certain pest control measures you can do to ensure that this annoying and frustrating occurrence does not happen to you again.

1. Do not leave food and drinks out

A household that is prone to leaving food and drinks out for extended periods provides a haven for ants. Ants will eventually enter your home if you leave these things out because you are providing them with things that they seek. To prevent an infestation, put food that you want to save away in the refrigerator or cupboards and throw trash in the garbage. Wipe up all spills and sweep up crumbs right away.

Consider cleaning with a vinegar and water solution as house ants hate the smell of vinegar and usually this will be enough to repel them. By removing food sources for ants, you will in turn remove the main reason they have for entering your home in the first place.

2. Check for possible entry areas

When ants enter a home, it is typical for a homeowner to do an inspection to determine how they are getting in. Some entry points are obvious such as the crack in a window sill or under a door, but then again some are not. Ants are small and can get in through spots that you may not think are possible such as plumbing holes, tiny wall cracks, foundation cracks, and even utility lines.

To prevent ants from getting in from outside, determine where the entry point is and seal it off. Materials that you use could include caulk, spray-foam, putty, or plaster depending on where you determine the entry point is.

3. Kill ants as you see them

Killing ants as you come across them in your home is a step that most homeowners take anyway, but by doing so you are doing more than you are even aware of. While killing ants that you notice removes an immediate threat of them contaminating food and being a general nuisance, by doing so you are stopping the issue from becoming larger. Ant colonies often send one ant to scout out your home for food and determine if it is worth-while to enter.

If the ant is able to make it back to the nest with the scent, it will return and bring back many other ants. If you kill it, it will not have the opportunity to bring back any scents that indicate that there is a food source available.

4. Use natural solutions or pesticides

If you notice a few ants here and there around your home, it should not be considered an infestation yet. However, it could definitely turn into one. Luckily there are a few solutions you can use that are readily available in your home or at the local hardware store. As mentioned, spraying vinegar in suspected entry spots and cleaning with it repels house ants because they do not like the smell. Lemon juice has the same affect and spraying it periodically in high-traffic ant areas will eventually remove them.

Dish soap is harmful to ants because it to remove layers of the ant’s skin and result in eventual dehydration and death. In the off-chance that these remedies are not effective, products such as liquid ant bait or diatomaceous earth can be purchased and these cause physical damage to the ants themselves, killing them and preventing an infestation in your home.