When you think about pests most people know that the weather is something that affects what type of pests you should be concerned about. Although the weather is a trigger for some pests to go into a dormant state and others to come out in full force, certain pests may surprise you. Ants are a pest that is common in the warmer weather. They are depicted invading your springtime picnic and around your summer swimming party. Ants do love the warmth of the summer but if you think about it they are busy looking for food. They are stocking up so that in the cold months they can stay out of the weather and still have food to eat. That means that they don’t die in the winter at all! They are still there and if they are low on the food they will brave the cold to find more. That is when they become a problem in the winter for homeowners. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to keep them out during the winter months.
A-Tex Pest Management Offers Tips for How to Keep Ants Out of Your House in the Cold Winter Months
Food Needs to Be Sealed & Stored Properly: The most important reason that ants will come out of their colony when the weather is cold is to find food. They are usually good at collecting enough food but are willing to venture out to get more. That means that in the winter you need to be more careful about food and what you leave out. There is less food outside for ants to collect so they often come into the house to get it. If you are like many people that leave cookies out for Santa or treats on the counter for the holiday you might be inviting ants in. An unsealed plate of treats is the perfect item for ants. They love things that are sweet in flavor. You want to be sure that you clean up your kitchen and clear off crumbs before you head to bed at night.
Ants Will Eat Dog & Cat Pet Food: You might be interested to know that ants are not a picky pest. They are actually quite happy to eat anything that includes your dog food! We all set a bowl of food out for our loving pets in the morning for them to eat throughout the day. The problem is that the same food is left out overnight and that is when the ants come marching in. This is also a problem if you don’t seal your pet food uptight or if you feed outdoors too. If the food is too close to the house it can bring ants in as well. You want to clean up the pet food after a few hours instead of leaving it out all night for pests to eat.
Ant Inspections, Control & More in Austin, Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville & Cedar Park, Texas
A-Tex Pest Management offers expert ant and other pest control services. Contact us today!