No one wants an ant infestation, especially a surprise one! Ants are terrible pests that can ruin your household and stress your day, that’s why it’s important to do some prevention if you are worried about ant season.
In this article, you can read about how can you prevent an ant infestation, but if you already have one let’s see what can you do step by step to get rid of ants the right way without damaging your household with overkill measures.
When Does Ant Season Start?
Although ants are most active during the spring and summer there is no specific “ant season”. Ants are known for entering properties all year long to escape nature elements and seek better conditions to thrive. If it has food and moisture they are always in for it without particularly caring about a specific season.
But if we must choose a definitive answer to this question, ants are most active during summer nights, they will scavenge for provisions non-stop in an effort to grow their colony at all costs because this is key to their survival.
There isn’t a concrete end date for ant season but you can expect a decrease in ant activity during winter time. When you put that information in perspective one might say that ant season will last throughout 2 quarters of the year.
How You Can Get Rid of Ants on Your Own
First of all, you need to assess the size of the infestation, small and semi-medium infestations can be dealt with with a single vacuum passage (don’t forget to change the dust bag once you have completed everything).
You may also need to investigate if that was just a first wave of ants or if you already have an existing ant colony inside your place. One of the best ways to do this is to follow the ant columns before vacuuming and see where they are leading, once you’ve found them use the proper measures to get rid of them.
It is also a good idea to take some time to clean those trails, ants leave pheromones so others can trace them back to any particular source they are trying to arrive at. You can erase the ants’ trail simply by using soapy water and a cloth or Windex.
Do not forget to handle the “bait” that is attracting them in the first place and seal any sugary foods, or pet food in plastic containers so they won’t find them. If you need to, take care of any water source that attracts ants and do that as well.
After you’re free of (visible) ants, take extra measures by placing ant bait outside your home, the logic behind this is to drive the remaining ones, out of your home and not otherwise.
How Can You Prepare for Ant Season?
Once weather temperatures start to rise it’s normal to also see an increase in ant activity, they leave hibernation and start their usual activities non-stop. The following tips will help you prepare for the arrival of ant season and will help you get rid of ants in the fastest way possible.
Do Some Ant Prevention
Preventing ants from invading your household doesn’t have to be hard, just do the following:
- Seal any cracks or crevices that can be found around the building’s foundation, siding, in and out of exterior doors, and windows.
- Keep outdoor trash cans with tight-fitting lids and keep the clean all the time.
- Eliminate any water leaks inside and outside your home, this is also valid for appliances and pipes.
- Remove regularly any cumulative trash from inside your place, this goes for old shoes, boxes, and other unused items.
- If you have moisture issues consider running a dehumidifier or if possible fixing ventilation issues that are causing it.
- Keep your food in sealed tight containers and avoid exposure. This applies to pet food, sugar, and other sugary foods.
- Do not let dirty dishes overnight on your skin.
- Create the habit of cleaning spills and crumbs whenever they occur.
Have an Ant Control & Removal Method
Having a plan and removal method for dealing with ant infestations is your best bet for controlling them away from your house. As seen before using a vacuum is one of the best and quickest ways to remove ants from a specific area or item.
There are other solutions such as bait traps and commercial repellents but when these fail it is time for you to consider calling out professional services such as exterminators, they will know best the course of action to follow according to your location and the state of the ant infestation of your house.
Ants will always try to invade homes and sometimes they can be quite a burden to remove, but it is always possible to remove ants over time with the right methods and the right strategy. Keeping your home free from ants should be your number one priority and preventing them is a recurring task that you must learn and perfect to keep ants at bay.
Ant Season Calendar for the United States
| Location | Start to End of Ant Season |
|---|---|
| Alabama | March – April |
| Alaska | February – March |
| Arizona | February – June |
| Arkansas | March – April |
| California | August – September |
| Colorado | February – April |
| Connecticut | March – April |
| Delaware | March – April |
| Florida | April – June |
| Georgia | May – October |
| Hawaii | September |
| Idaho | June – August |
| Illinois | March – April |
| Indiana | February – March |
| Iowa | February – June |
| Kansas | February – June |
| Kentucky | February – March |
| Louisiana | June – August |
| Maine | March – April |
| Maryland | March – May |
| Massachusetts | January – February |
| Michigan | June – August |
| Minnesota | April – September |
| Mississippi | March – April |
| Missouri | April – September |
| Montana | June – August |
| Nebraska | March – June |
| Nevada | February – April |
| New Hampshire | June – August |
| New Jersey | February – June |
| New Mexico | April – September |
| New York | May – October |
| North Carolina | June – September |
| North Dakota | May – September |
| Ohio | March – July |
| Oklahoma | March – May |
| Oregon | April – September |
| Pennsylvania | March – April |
| Rhode Island | June – August |
| South Carolina | All Year Long |
| South Dakota | August – October |
| Tennessee | February – March |
| Texas | February – October |
| Utah | February – April |
| Vermont | March – April |
| Virginia | May – August |
| Washington | May – June |
| West Virginia | February – March |
| Wisconsin | March – April |
| Wyoming | June – August |
