Ants are a unique pest among the bugs that infest homes in Gainesville because they generally come inside looking only for food, not for shelter. Instead, ants will have their colony out in your yard or even a few yards over. They will send out scouts and then worker ants to find reliable sources of food and bring it back to feed the entire colony.

This means that a big step in the prevention of ants in your home is to remove food sources. By understanding which foods are most likely to attract ants, you can plan your cleaning methods accordingly and take extra precautions in order to reduce the risk that ants might move in.

Common Foods for Ants in Northern Virginia

Ants are voracious eaters. They are omnivores and will readily eat both plant matter and other animals and insects. The average colony will also eat up to 3 pounds of food a day. This is why ants often have multiple food sources throughout your neighborhood, both out in nature and potentially in other homes.

This can make for an added challenge and getting rid of ants considering you cannot just focus on extermination in your own home. Your efforts may also be less effective if there is still ample food sources nearby as the colony is less likely to move on and may continue to try your home for food.

Taking care to remove any access ants may have to the following favorite food types can help reduce air problems in your home:

• Carbohydrates/Sugars – Ants have a reputation for seeking out sugary foods. Sugars, or carbohydrates, are packed with nutrients, making them great for sustaining ant colonies. Carbohydrates are found in a wide variety of foods inside your home and are easily accessible for ants. Some common carbohydrate containing foods include anything sweet, grain based products, processed foods, juices and sodas, and a wide variety of other foods. A single crumb or a spilled drop of liquid can be a full meal for ants. Storing foods in airtight containers and carefully wiping down your kitchen and any areas where you eat daily is the best way to remove access to carbohydrates.
• Salt – Salt is not as popular as sugar with ants, but remains a food that they will frequently eat, especially when ants cannot find carbohydrates. Salt is another extremely common food in kitchens and is found in a wide number of foods, providing ants with easy access.
• Dead Animals – As omnivores, ants will also eat dead animals and decaying organic matter. This could be available in your house if you have recently had a rodent problem that may have left dead animals behind. Cleaning up any animal remains that might be attracting ants can be more challenging as the remains tend to be in hard to reach places. But if you have had rodents, a thorough inspection of your home for any debris that may be left behind can help prevent ant problems.

The other leading option for keeping ants out of your home is creating an exterior barrier that ants cannot get past regardless of what food sources may be inside your home. We do this at ExtermPRO with our pest protection plans. Through either bi-monthly or quarterly visits, we use eco-friendly treatments to create a pest proof barrier that works against ants and the other common household pests in our area. This will help you get rid of ants and keep them out of your home. Contact us to get a quote for ant control and learn more about how we can successfully manage ant populations around your home.