Ghost Ants are an invasive species throughout Florida. While these resilient pests don’t sting or bite, they do pose a risk to your family, contaminating food sources and just about everything they touch. They’re also incredibly difficult to get rid of once they’ve moved in. These tiny, white ants appear and disappear quickly in your kitchen or bathroom, reproducing quickly nearly anywhere. Here’s how to keep Ghost Ants out of your house, and what you should do if you’re dealing with an active infestation.
Keep Your Landscaping Tidy
Ghost Ants often enter homes by climbing along tree and shrub branches that are in direct contact with the structure. Prevent an infestation by keeping your trees and shrubs neatly trimmed, ensuring no branches are touching your home. You should also remove all leaf litter and debris. If you store firewood outside, keep it at least 20 feet away, or more, from your home.
Block All Entry Points
While it’s difficult to seal every crack or hole in the house, spend some time looking for any gaps or cracks in your walls or foundation. You should pay special attention to areas around your kitchen since Ghost Ants are attracted to food sources and typically enter homes near the kitchen. Make sure areas around doors, frames, screens, and windows are tightly sealed, and that there are no cracks or crevices the ants could use to enter your home.
Eliminate Food Sources
A Ghost Ant’s typical food source is crumbs and spills in the kitchen. Eliminate all potential food sources by making sure to clean up spills immediately after they happen. You should also store food properly in airtight containers or bags. Be sure your pet’s food is properly stored, too, since Ghost Ants will happily feed on cat or dog food.
Use Natural Ant Deterrents
Even if you’ve blocked entry points of Ghost Ants, they can still find ways to get inside your home and wreak havoc in your kitchen. Consult with your local pest control experts at Service Choice of Ft. Lauderdale regarding natural ant repellents.
Items like cinnamon, curry powder, salt, and pepper can naturally deter Ghost Ants. You could also put a few drops of peppermint oil around the perimeter of your kitchen. Be careful, though, and always consult a pest control expert first since some of these methods may irritate the skin, mouth, nose, or eyes of children and pets.
Eliminate and Prevent Ghost Ants With the Help of Service Choice
If ghost ants have set up camp in your home, the best way to deal with the problem is by relying on your pest control experts at Service Choice of Ft. Lauderdale. We’ll create a customized, natural treatment method to eliminate a current Ghost Ant infestation and ensure it never happens again. Call us today at (954) 568-9955 to schedule your free pest control inspection!
