Why Do I Keep Finding Ants in The Kitchen?

It is unsettling when ants invade your kitchen, even more so if they do it repeatedly. Why do they do this? It has something to do with food, but there is more to it. You won't find just one either; you’ll find many! Let's look at why ants infest kitchens and discuss a few steps you can take to prevent them. As always, your Miller Pest & Termite team is ready to answer questions and provide treatment options for your Midwest home.

First, ants are attracted to your yard

Before ants enter your kitchen, they must have a reason to visit your property. Nectar and plant sap offered by flowering weeds in your lawn may be enough to attract these pests, but there are many other natural or human-provided food sources in most Midwest yards.

Nectar from flowers, honeydew from aphids, and fallen fruit are common attractants. Pet food left outside, crumbs on the patio, and unsealed garbage cans can also encourage ants (and other pests, for that matter). With plenty of food sources to sustain an ant population, once they establish nests, it's only a matter of time before they find their way inside.

Then they send scout ants indoors

Scout ants are individual ants sent out from the colony to perform the following tasks:   

• Search for resources
  Scout ants explore new areas in search of food, water, and nesting sites. When they find a resource, they leave a pheromone trail back to the colony, guiding other ants to the source.
• Assess the threat level
  Scouts also help assess potential threats or changes in the environment, allowing the colony to adapt and survive.
• Establish trails
  Scouts establish foraging trails that worker ants can follow to gather resources efficiently.

When scout ants enter your home, they usually detect potential food sources or water. If they find something valuable, they signal other ants to follow, which can lead to a full-scale invasion.

The rest of the ant colony will follow the trail

As we touched on above, scout ants lay down invisible, scented trails that will lead other ants back to the location they’ve zeroed in on, in this case, the kitchen. If you hope to keep ants from invading your kitchen, consider this process and take steps to counteract the factors that lead to infestations. Let's look at a few simple tips that may help you keep ants out of your kitchen, laundry room, and other parts of your house.

Tips to prevent ants in the kitchen

Are you willing to roll up your sleeves to keep ants out? Here are a few ways you can actively prevent ant infestations:

• Trim grass next to your home to reduce humidity.
• Rake leaves near your home to remove cover.
• Trim bushes and plants to allow the sunlight in.
• Use a caulking gun or cans of expanding foam to seal entry points.
• Replace weatherstripping and repair screens.
• Keep your kitchen clean and free of food debris and spills.
• Repair leaking faucets and other plumbing issues.
• Store foods in sealed containers.
• Wash down honey jars and other containers that can get a bit messy.
• Wipe down shelves routinely to reduce food debris.
• Do not leave dirty dishes in the sink for any length of time.
• Remove trash routinely to avoid smells that can attract ants.
• Keep your trash covered and your bin as clean as possible.

When ant prevention isn’t enough, contact Miller Pest & Termite

When dealing with ants, it's important to remember that simply squashing the ants you see won't solve the problem. This is because there is likely a larger colony somewhere nearby. To effectively get rid of ants, you must locate and exterminate their nest. Otherwise, the colony will persist no matter how many individual ants you eliminate.

Miller Pest & Termite provides ongoing home pest control services in Omaha, Kansas City, Des Moines, and across our multi-state service area. Our services eradicate existing ant issues and actively prevent new ones from arising. Our residential plans also address other common household pests, such as beetles, fleas, mice, and roaches. Check out our Miller Guard plan below for more details or feel free to call us to discuss your ant problem!