Before calling for ant extermination in Salt Lake City, try these home remedies to prevent an ant problem in your home.
Take proactive measures to keep these pests out of your house so you can avoid a full-scale infestation requiring professional pest control.
1) Find Odorous House Ant Nests
Put some jelly on index cards and place them along walls or baseboards where ants have been seen. Once strong foraging trails form, follow the trails to locate nesting locations.
Odorous House Ants Emerging in Salt Lake City Urban Areas
Check inside along your baseboards, under carpets, and near moist areas like sinks and toilets for trailing ants. They also nest in wall voids near warm pipes.
Odorous house ants (OHAs) earn their name from the distinct rotten, coconut-like odor released when crushed. These tiny brownish ants invade SLC homes in droves and are difficult to manage due to a few biological attributes.
Unlike most ant species, OHAs have multiple fertile queens. Their colonies readily split into smaller "satellite" nests with daughter queens - a process called budding. Worker ants from related nests even cooperate, allowing rapid territory takeover.
If you catch a whiff of something foul and tropical, you likely have an odorous house ant infestation. Contact us for elimination services before colonies expand their foothold.
More Tips to Avoid Professional Ant Extermination
Ants at a picnic are a nuisance, but ants invading your living space can be far more aggravating and destructive.
- Step Up Your Housekeeping
Keep food in airtight containers, wipe up spills as soon as they happen, and clean up crumbs that hit the floor. Pay attention to nooks and crannies when you sweep or vacuum. If you have pets, feed them on a schedule and then pick up their food right away so ants aren't tempted to swarm Fido's bowl. - Block Entry Points
Use caulk or other barriers to block cracks and holes in the foundation and walls, under sliding glass doors, doors or window frames.
2) Remove Pavement Ant Pheromone Trails
Homeowners may temporarily deter activity by wiping ant trails with soapy water once or twice daily.
However, eliminating entire colonies is unlikely with basic baits or sprays. Due to abundant concrete habitat statewide, pavement ants swiftly recolonize cleared areas.
Pavement Ants - SLC's Most Common Ant Nuisance
True to their name, pavement ants eagerly nest along sidewalk and driveway cracks, patios, and building foundations. These small black or reddish-brown ants frequently invade Utah homes in spring and summer, foraging indoors for fallen food or moisture.
Exterminating pavement ants may even open the door for odorous house ants - a more stubborn indoor pest. Unlike pavement ants, odorous house ants feature multiple queens and cooperating nests that rapidly take over vacated zones.
For effective long-term ant control in Salt Lake City, contact Croach®. We bait strategically to fully halt pavement ant infestations, block reentry points, and guard against opportunistic pests - providing lasting ongoing protection for your home.
Ant-Proof Your Landscaping
Various outdoor plants can help keep ants outside by providing readily accessible food sources. They may not enter your home if they get what they need from nature.
Trim back bushes to ensure they don't touch the house to avoid creating an ant superhighway.
It's also wise to maintain up to 6 inches of clearance space between the soil around the foundation and the bottom row of the siding. Some ants like to nest inside of siding.
Be mindful of firewood; it should be placed at least 20 feet from your house. Check firewood for infestation before bringing it into the house.
3) Eliminate Carpenter Ant Water Sources
Fix water leaks and chronic moisture areas to help deter carpenter ant nesting. Use bait cards to lure ants out to reveal hidden colonies.
The tiniest of leaks attracts all types of ants. It's an essential source of hydration, but leaks also cause water damage like wood rot, which appeals to carpenter ants in particular.
Take inventory of the water sources inside your home. Check faucets, shower heads, and toilets. Also check for leaks inside cabinets that hide your plumbing, under appliances, behind the washing machine, and anywhere else ants could have access to water.
Exterminate Carpenter Ants Near Salt Lake City
Utah hosts 12 species of wood-tunneling carpenter ants. These large black ants excavate galleries in moisture-damaged wood to establish nesting sites, not to eat the wood. Carpenter ants prefer sweets and insects as food. They clear sawdust and debris from tunnels, leaving telltale piles near the entry points.
Killing foraging worker ants is ineffective - mature colonies contain queens that rapidly replace them. Locating and eliminating the nest is key for control. Inspect indoors under carpets and in unfinished basement areas. Check outdoors around tree stumps, dying plants, roof eaves, and utility lines.
While carpenter ants damage wood seeking shelter, moisture enables their entry in the first place.
Why DIY Ant Extermination Doesn't Work
There are over 200 Utah-registered products labeled for carpenter ant control alone in indoor domestic dwelling situations. These insecticides come in the form of aerosols, baits, dusts, granules, and sprays (mixable and ready-to-use).
Direct-to-consumer products like these are a great way to reduce ant populations, but they won't completely eliminate the colony, which contains up to 500,000 ants.
In most cases, eradication of a colony requires the removal or death of the queen(s).
For thorough, long-term resolution of infestations, contact Croach® Customer Service to schedule a free inspection. We identify and destroy nests, seal entries, and take steps to keep these destructive pests from returning.
Salt Lake City Pest Control Service Area
Our Salt Lake City region includes Cottonwood Heights, Draper, Eagle Mountain, Herriman, Kearns, Layton, Lehi, Magna, Midvale, Millcreek, Murray, Ogden, Orem, Payson, Provo, Riverton, Salt Lake City, Sandy, Santaquin, South Jordan, South Salt Lake City, Spanish Fork, Utah County, West Jordan, and West Valley City.