Top 10 Ways to keep ants out of your house

Homeowners often complain about having their house invaded by ants during periods of rainy winter weather. It's only natural that ants will seek out higher and drier ground when rainwater begins filling their elaborate below-ground network. But preventing an annual ant invasion in your house just takes a little elbow grease and advance preparation. Here are 10 of the most effective ways to keep ants from invading yourCarmel home:

(1) Seal off the little critters from even accessing the cozy interior of your home in the first place by sealing off all door and window cracks using caulking, glue, putty or plaster. Even petroleum jelly will work as a temporary sealant.

(2) Mix some liquid dish detergent with water in a spray bottle. If you see even one scout ant on your kitchen countertop, spray it quickly with a blast from this bottle and they will never be able to report back to the troops.

(3) Place a thin quarter-inch unbroken line of powdered charcoal, cinnamon, citrus oil, baby powder or cayenne pepper inside door jams and window sills to serve as a barrier that ants won't cross.

(4) Clean your floors, tabletops and countertops with a solution of water and vinegar, removing any previous ant scent trails.

(5) At any place you notice ants entering your household, sprinkle crushed mint leaves, garlic salt, bay leaves or crushed cloves. Ants can't tolerate these odors.

(6) Keep all food items in closed containers. Be meticulous about wiping crumbs and other food droppings from tabletops, countertops and flooring because these can quickly attract ants.

(7) Mop or vacuum your floors daily, or at least every other day, to remove any traces of food particles that might attract ants.

(8) Don't put used dishes containing food particles in the sink or leave them lying around the house. Wash them immediately or place them in the dishwater, because any scent of sugar or food is like an invitation to a picnic to an ant.

(9) Create an all-natural ant trap by placing a tablespoon of maple syrup in the middle of a small dish, then surround it with a ring of boric acid, purchased at the drugstore, and put it inside your cabinets. Ants will have to walk through the powdered boric acid to get to the syrup and it's soon RIP ants.

(10) Leave a small pile of coffee grounds or corn meal in the far corners of your kitchen countertop. Ants will carry these non-digestible foods back to their colony and eat it with lethal results.

Whatever method of ant deterrent you choose, it's essential to avoid using poisons or other toxins if you have children or pets in your Carmel home.