Are you noticing a decline in ant activity this winter? The ants that were busy in building mounds in your yard or crawling on trees freely in your neighbourhood are no longer visible. What happened to the ants? Are you wondering if ants have died off?
Well! They did not die but went into hibernation mode. But, where exactly do they go? If you are mind is clouded with all these ant related questions, then keep scrolling to find out the whereabout of ants during the winter.
Where Did the Ants Go?
Invasive insects such as ants are cold-blooded that require warmth survive harsh winters without food. Your home provides the perfect temperature and food and moisture to survive cold months which means the ants have made their way indoors to seek shelter in your home until things warm up again. Just because you don’t see ants outside doesn’t mean they are gone.
Ants are still busy colonizing inside your home but without your knowledge and you may not realize an ant infestation. Ants are most likely to hide in your cabinets, walls or floors and you may see only a few foragers who come out in search for food while hundreds of ants still stay hidden.
What Ant Species Are Seen in the Winter?
Listed below are the top ant species that invade home in the winter:
- Crazy ants
- Ghost ants
- Odorous ants
- Carpenter ants
- Pharaoh ants
- Acrobat ants
- Argentine ants
- Dark rover ants
- White-footed ants
Tips for an Ant-Free Spring
The moment winter ends and temperature begins to rise, ants will come out from their shelter to get back to work. If you are unaware of a winter ant infestation, you may be in for an unpleasant spring. However, this situation can be avoided by winterizing your home, making it less appealing for ants with the below mentioned tips.
- Inspect your home thoroughly and eliminate any probable ant habitats and get rid of ant hills and mounds before they sneak into your home.
- Since ants need water to survive, fix any water leakage issues in the pipes or drainage problems.
- Trim down the overgrown plants and trees should that touch any part of the house which could give access to ants to enter your house.
- Clean your yard by removing debris such as bricks, leaves, compost piles, and firewood are great hideout spots for ants.
- Seal all entry points such as gaps, holes, cracks in the walls and foundation. Use weather stripping to cover the gaps between floor and windows, doors. Caulk up spaces between crawl spaces, and openings for vents and other utility pipes.
- Ensure to cover all your food items and store food in air-tight containers. Keep your trash cans closed and throw garbage away from homes regularly.
- Regular cleaning and vacuuming of the entire house including the undisturbed spaces will keeps the house ant-free.
Wrapping Up
Apart from these aforementioned preventive measures, you can also opt for regular pest control services to ensure that you are pest-free all year round. Call a pest control professional today and get your house inspected for an ant-free spring.
And, that’s a wrap!