Are you sick of watching unwanted bugs come into your home, ant by ant? Pest control services can be a big commitment, especially if you have a problem small enough to be handled on your own. If ants have already found their way into your home, getting them out can be tricky. Here are a few different ways to get ants out and make sure they don’t come back:

Keep Ants Where They Belong: Outside

There are many types of household bugs sprays that can be used for this purpose. While they may not be as effective as a professional treatment of your home, these sprays may be able to knock out the ant problem you’re facing. The most useful places to spray are along the perimeter of your home, as well as on doors, windows and other openings. By spraying the places that ants are most likely to enter, you can take care of potential problems before they begin.

Be Careful With Unfamiliar Chemicals

Getting rid of ants with a couple of quick sprays would be great, but not if it’s at the expense of a loved one in your home. Be very careful about the types of chemicals you use, and never spray anything without studying the directions and following them carefully. If you have pets, make sure to use a spray that clearly states that it’s safe for use around animals. And always make sure to keep bug sprays out of the reach of children.

Ants Find Each Other Via Smell, So Knock Them Off The Trail

If you can manage to cover the unique scent that ants leave behind, other ants will not follow them. The easiest way to go about this is making an ant pest control spray for your home. In a spray bottle, combine one parts vinegar with three parts water. Mix well and then keep this spray nearby; you’ll want to spray it wherever you’ve seen ants around your home. The scent of this spray will make it harder for the ants to follow their friends to a food source within your home.

Eliminating Food Sources Makes A Big Difference

Ants may invade your house in search of food, but if they can’t find it, they have no reason to stick around. Make use of the following small steps:

• Empty your trash daily.

• Vacuum often to remove possible crumbs.

• Store all food in the refrigerator or air-tight containers.

• Give your pets food only when they are ready to eat. Leaving pet food out attracts not just ants, but many other pests.

Know Your Enemy

While you may not have the budget to take every ant in your home out to dinner, doing some research about the type of ants you’re battling can be very beneficial. Certain types of ants may respond better to one treatment versus another, and doing this research in advance could save you valuable time and money.