What Attracts Ants?
Ants are among the most common household pests. They can also find infesting businesses, especially restaurants, food processing plants, and grocery stores. While there are more than 12,000 species of ants, the most common type of ant found in households are the carpenter ant, odorous house ants, and pavement ants.
While ants generally do not pose a health threat, they can be a nuisance, and their constant presence can make it difficult to keep food areas clean. In addition, carpenter ants can cause structural damage to homes by digging out wood to build their nests, but it’s not as common.
So, have you ever wondered what attracts ants? Do they like sweet things, or is something else that draws them to particular areas? This blog post, will tackle some of the things that attracts ants and why ants attracted to these.
What Attracts Ants?
Ants are attracted to various things, but the two main things that attract them are food and moisture.
Food
Ants are attracted to food because it is a source of sustenance for them. Therefore, they are constantly looking for food sources they can take back to their nests to feed their colony.
One of the things that ants are particularly attracted to is sweets. This is because sugar gives them the energy that they need to survive. So, sugar and honey are two things you will often see ants crawling around.
Another type of food that ants are attracted to is protein. Like a human, ants need protein to survive and often look for protein sources. Meat and eggs are high in protein and are therefore attractive to ants. They are also attracted to grease and oils.
Ants have a very keen sense of smell and can detect food scent from long distances. This is why you often see ants marching in straight lines to a food source. They follow the scent until they find the food they are looking for.
Moisture
Another thing that ants are attracted to is moisture. This is because ants need water to survive, just like any other living creature.
Ants will often be seen near water sources such as sinks, toilets, and drains. This is because bathrooms are usually humid and moist, which makes them the perfect place for ants to get the water they need. Unfortunately, ants are also attracted to leaky pipes and other water sources.
Aside from food and moisture, ants need shelter to protect them from the elements and predators. Ants are attracted to warmer places to nourish their colonies. This can be cracks in walls, crevices, and any other small spaces in buildings and homes. They are also commonly found near boilers, electrical wiring, and any other place that emits heat.
How To Get Rid of Ants?
Now that we know what attracts ants, let’s look at how to get rid of them.
The best way to get rid of ants is to prevent them from getting into your home in the first place. You can do this by sealing up any cracks or crevices in your home that they might be able to get through. You should also make sure to keep food stored in tightly sealed containers.
Keep your home clean and free of food crumbs. Vacuum regularly and mop your floors to eliminate any food that might attract ants. As said earlier, ants have a keen sense of smell. So if they can smell food, they will come looking for it.
Since ants are attracted to moisture, another way to prevent them from getting into your home is to keep it dry. You should fix any leaks that you have and make sure that there is no standing water anywhere in your home.
There are also some ways to eliminate ants. These include using insecticide sprays, baits, and traps.
Insecticide sprays will kill ants on contact. However, they will not solve the problem long-term as more ants will just keep coming.
Baits are effective in getting rid of ants as they contain poison. The ants will take the bait back to their nest, where it will kill the rest of the colony.
Traps are also a good option for getting rid of ants. There are several types of traps that you can use. Some can be with a combination of insecticides, while others contain sticky substances that the ants will get stuck in.
Prevention is always the best method in dealing with any pests. However, ants can sometimes find their way into your home no matter what you do. If this happens, don’t panic. There are many different ways that you can get rid of them.
With a bit of patience and effort, you will be able to get rid of the ants and keep them from coming back. However, if you have a severe ant problem, it is best to call in a professional. They will be able to quickly and effectively get rid of the ants for you.