Does it seem like ants have suddenly decided your Santa Cruz home is Insectopia? Don’t panic. Here are the easiest, least toxic, most affordable ways to deal with ants.

First, it’s important to know that ants are social insects; they live in colonies. An ant colony may consist of thousands of individual ants.

If you see a few ants wandering around in your Santa Cruz home, they could be scouts, sent out to find the best food source for the colony. It’s time to:

• Act fast. Smash the first few ants as soon as you see them. If those scouts don’t return to the nest, the rest of the colony will not be alerted to invade.

• Spray a vinegar solution on the area and sponge it up. This will remove the scent trail of any ants that passed through, preventing the onslaught of the colony in case any scouts did get back to the nest.

• Clean up! This goes without saying; keep your home clean of any spills and crumbs to avoid inviting ants in.

If you see a stream of ants coming into your home and going back out, the colony is on to you and the enticing food you’ve been leaving around. Don’t panic. It is not time to call the exterminator, the bomb squad or Special Forces. Instead:

• Spray with vinegar to kill large numbers of ants and interrupt the scent trail. This will make you feel better, but will not stop the invasion.

• Use ant traps. These are very affordable. Smaller than a credit card, they can be placed on countertops or floors wherever ant trails are. They contain a liquid solution irresistible to ants – and toxic to the colony. Within 2 days you should see far fewer ants in your home. Use three to six traps and your ant problems should be completely taken care of.

• Keep it clean! Remember, ants aren’t even the worst pests you can get in your Santa Cruz home. Prevention is the best defense against attracting the wrong kind of house guests.

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Posted by Lauren Spencer on

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