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All year round we look forward to Thanksgiving festivities like the big meal and the family reunion. But uninvited guests who are eager to participate in the feasting also lurk in the shadows. No matter what part of the U.S. you live in, ants are always present in great numbers. It’s a few of them at first, but soon they invite their friends, and suddenly you have a full-blown invasion on your hands.
Here are some tips to keep the ants away from your Thanksgiving feast and prevent an infestation:
Ants love sugary foods, and if you keep the food in its box or wrapping, you may find ants all over them. That’s why it is important that you immediately transfer all the food you need to keep in the pantry to sealed plastic or glass containers after your return from the grocery store. Keep fresh fruit in the refrigerator instead of leaving it on the countertop.
The same principle applies to your Thanksgiving desserts. Do not leave them uncovered on countertops. Only bring them out when it’s time to serve them.
Preparing large meals can create a mess, and while you’re keeping so many cooking variables in check, you might want to leave the cleaning until after you’re done cooking and serving. But if you want to keep the ants out, it's important that you clean as you cook and don’t leave the dirty pots and utensils out as an invitation to bugs. Make sure to wipe all the crumbs and spills and avoid dirty dishes from sitting in the sink while you cook.
Your kitchen is susceptible to clutter during meal preparation, especially if you’re making an entire feast. Make sure you clean frequently and keep the floor and countertops wiped and mopped. When you’re throwing out perishables, make sure you throw them in closed-lid cans. You’ll also want to remove all trash from the kitchen as soon as the can fills and keep the trash in a sealed container as far from your house as possible.
Insect-proofing your house before the arrival of Thanksgiving is important. If you have an existing ant infestation problem, finding their colony and killing it at its source is the only way to get rid of them. Once you eliminate their nest, then you can start sealing all potential points of entry. Make sure to seal all cracks and crevices. You may want to use joint or caulk compound and put boric acid in crevices.
Since ants are very small and come in large numbers, it might not be possible to keep them all out all by yourself. For a serious infestation, you need to call in the experts. Calling an expert exterminator like Nature’s Gate Pest Control will give you the best defense against pests. Our professionals can identify nests in all the hard-to-find places and remove the problem from its source.
