“Where’d all these ants come from?” is what you might be asking yourself just before coming to grips with the fact that you likely have an ant problem on your hands.
Now, ants don’t typically carry diseases, nor are they particularly aggressive, but they are a big nuisance just because there’s so many of them.
So, what do you do to get rid of these pesky ants? Here are five tips to keep your mobile home ant-free:
Wipe Out Ants and Ant Trails
For a more immediate solution– say, if they’re crawling all over your table, your cupboard or your floor– the best way to get rid of them is to with a spray bottle filled with a water-and-lemon mixture. Spray it on the ant-ridden surface and wipe it down after the ants have dispersed.
Ants don’t like the acidic smells, and it messes with the scent of the ant trails they’ve left behind for other ants to follow. Vinegar works just as well, and some owners have said that crushed mint leaves, rosemary, or thyme mixed in the water may also be effective.
Mild disinfectants can also work. Just pay attention to any new ant trails you’d see, and spray or wipe along the entire length to make sure you disrupt their march towards your food.
Keep Your House Clean
Understand that ants invade your home mainly because of two things: food and water. You may keep your home in prime condition, but there may still be food and water available to them. Take these away (or at least make it inaccessible to them), and they’re likely to pack up and find another place where they can get food more easily.
Be particularly mindful of crumbs, spills, and other leftover food. Clean up and put away dirty dishes. Vacuum your carpets, rugs, and even your furniture and bed for stray food particles. Sweep your floor regularly. And wipe down your counters, tables, as well as other surfaces where you eat or prepare your meals.
Store Your Food Properly
Pay particular attention to the way food is stashed away in your home. You might not realize it, but lids on jars might not be closed all the way (especially on cookie jars or sugar bowls), attracting all those ants nearby.
Other culprits that call out to ants include opened boxes of cookies, bread, pastries, and candy, as well as bags of chips, and even sauce packets. Tie these securely or transfer them into airtight containers for better storage.
Dispose of Your Trash Regularly
As much as possible, keep the garbage bins inside your house clean as you can manage. Line them with bags for easier handling, make sure lids are in place, and stow them away so contents don’t spill out.
Move your trash outside for recycling or disposal, and make sure they’re placed in their proper bins, lids closed and all. Remember, if other critters like cats, raccoons, or dogs can easily knock over bins, they’ll just make a mess that’s easier to attract not just ants but maybe roaches and rats as well.
Seal off Possible Entry Points
Now that you’ve taken care of all possible food sources, let’s try to figure out where and how ants are gaining entry into your home. You might have traced ant trails you’ve spotted earlier to a crack or an opening. Fill up these little gaps with either some caulk, some chalk, or even baking powder or baby powder.
Just like strong scents, ants don’t particularly like these powdery substances as well. A line of powder across an entryway such as a window or a door can even act as a barrier preventing them from wanting to come in. Just make sure you reapply these regularly over time.
A Final Word on Keeping Ants Away from Your Mobile Home
If you have a bit of an ant problem at home, the only way to really get rid of them is to get rid of the nest, which should be just relatively close by. You can deploy some ant bait and ant trap yourself, or if you feel like there’s just way too much ant for you to handle, you can always call in professional exterminators.
However, prevention is still your best bet. So, make an effort to keep your mobile home clean: be mindful of your fridge, oven, stove, microwave, and other kitchen appliances and surfaces. Don’t leave food just lying around. Make sure you clear away trash properly. Use disinfectants on floors and surfaces. All that good stuff.
Lastly, keeping your mobile home clean not only keeps ants away, but other critters as well such as rodents, roaches, and other nasty bugs. A clean mobile home might not be 100% pest-free, but it does greatly reduce the risk of future incursions of ants and other bothersome household pests.
