Even though it is cold outside, summer picnics are long gone, snow may be in the forecast, many homeowners continue to have winter ant problems. Are ants crawling across your kitchen counter, floor, or windows? Are you finding ant trails around bathroom sinks, floor, bathtub or walls? It’s not uncommon for ants to continue to bug homeowners during the cold winter.
Winter ant problems may be a sign that you have an ant colony living in your walls. Ants do not usually build their colony inside your home. The main ant colony is usually located outside in the ground in your yard. Foraging ants will enter your home, especially in the warm months, seeking food. Ant colonies become less active as cold weather arrives and ants will go into a hibernation mode. However, a satellite colony inside your home, often near the kitchen or bathroom, can remain active during the cold winter months. These ants will continue to forage for food in our kitchen or other parts of your home throughout the winter as long as the walls remain warm. A satellite ant colony may also go into hibernation until things warm up if that part of your home gets cold.
Though ants’ primary focus may be on food from your kitchen, ants can also cause significant damage to wood, drywall and other areas of the structure.
Behavior of Ants in Winter
During the colder months, ants undergo significant changes in behavior to survive the winter. Unlike many other insects that may die off or hibernate, ants are adept at finding ways to endure the season. Here's what they do:
- Seeking Shelter: Ants typically move deeper into the ground, beneath rocks, or inside logs to escape the cold. In urban environments, they might also find their way into homes or buildings, seeking warmth and shelter.
- Slowing Down: The cold weather causes ants to become less active. Their metabolism slows down, and they rely on the fat reserves built up during the warmer months. This state of reduced activity helps them conserve energy.
- Forming Clusters: To maintain warmth, ants often cluster together in their nests. This collective behavior helps them regulate the nest's temperature, ensuring their survival through the winter.
- Indoor Foraging: If ants establish a nest indoors, where temperatures are more stable, they may continue to forage and remain active throughout the winter. This can lead to noticeable ant problems in homes and buildings during a time when other pests are less active. You may even see ants coming inside on a warm winter day. They are likely heading straight for a food source in areas such as your kitchen!
Tips for Preventing Winter Ant Problems
Preventing winter ant problems involves a combination of proactive measures to deter ants from entering your home and strategies to eliminate what is attracting them to your home. Seal up food, and don't leave dirty dishes out. Clean counter surfaces and tables after eating. Avoid leaving a sink full of dishes overnight or for an extended period. Clean up those small crumbs, which are like a feast for an ant.
Here are some effective tips fo preventing winter ant problems:
- Seal Entry Points: Inspect the exterior of your home for cracks, crevices, and openings. Seal these potential entry points with silicone caulk or other appropriate materials to prevent ants from entering.
- Pet food: Do not leave pet food out except during mealtimes.
- Maintain Cleanliness: Ants are attracted to food and moisture. Regularly clean surfaces, vacuum floors, and manage garbage to minimize attractants. Pay special attention to kitchen areas, ensuring that food is stored in sealed containers and spills are cleaned up promptly. Regularly wipe down counters.
- Remove Standing Water: Fix leaky pipes and ensure that drainage systems are functioning properly. Eliminating sources of moisture can make your home less appealing to ants.
- Trim Vegetation: Keep branches and bushes trimmed away from the exterior of your home. Overhanging vegetation can provide a bridge for ants to enter your home.
- Professional Pest Control: Sometimes, despite your best efforts, ants can establish a presence in your home. In such cases, consider consulting with a professional pest control service. They can identify the ant species, locate the nest, and recommend a tailored treatment plan to address the problem effectively.
By understanding the behavior of ants in winter and implementing these preventative measures, you can significantly reduce the risk of winter ant problems during the colder months. Keeping ants at bay not only protects your home from damage but also contributes to a healthier living environment.
Cleaning can help prevent or eliminate ants, but winter ant problems can be difficult to eliminate. A professional exterminator or pest control professional can help identify sources of problems, locate and eliminate indoor satellite ant colonies. A pest control professional can also help seal and protect your home from other pest problems as well as seal up gaps that could be wasting energy.
If you need help with ant control or other pest issues, contact My Pest Pros, a local pest control company today at 703-665-4455. and schedule your treatment! to help eliminate your ant problems.