Have you ever hosted an outdoor party or barbecue, or spread your picnic blanket on a thick carpet of grass, only to have unexpected guests show up?
Yes, we’re referring to the uninvited ants.
Like most insects, ants have a unique ability to smell – and even feel – when food is nearby, an ability known as chemosense. Ants have small bristles on their body that detect the chemicals in food, giving them a radar-like capacity for scavenging. Most ants can detect a crumb of food from as much as 10 to 20 feet away!
Unfortunately, ants can smell food in your home, too, especially if they have already made themselves at home building nests in your walls. Spotting a trail of ants carrying your food away at the family cookout is one thing, but finding them stealing from your kitchen counter or pantry takes things to a whole new level.
Here are the foods you need to know will inevitably attract ants to your home, as well as the ways you can work to deter them from crashing your party.
Experiencing a persistent ant problem? Get your ant issues under control and contact Certified Pest Control. We serve Nashville, TN and surrounding areas!
Sugar
Not unlike humans, ants can have a bit of a sweet tooth. They like sugar, syrupy things, honey, fruit, and even baked goods. And once a scout ant has discovered a delectable source of sugar, you can be sure they will alert the rest of the colony to assist them with taking it back to the ant mound.
Why do ants like sugar, you might ask? You could say they like the sugar-high! Sugar is a dense calorie, and ants need lots of energy to conduct their daily routines. Ants equate sugar with energy and productivity, so they work harder and travel farther to gather it.
Tip: From hosting parties to spilling Kool-Aid in the kitchen, make sure you store sugary leftovers in an air-tight container and clean thoroughly afterward. Setting out ant bait is also a good idea; it contains gels that smell sweet to the ant but are in fact deadly.
Carbohydrates
Speaking of sugar, another big draw for ants is carbohydrates. Your favorite go-to snacks are some of ants’ favorite snacks, too. Chips, crackers, cereal and even pretzels are not only a tasty treat for ants, these food sources tend to be bountiful in supply.
An unassuming carbohydrate that will bring your ant friends running is also the food choice of your furry, four-legged friend. You guessed it: Ants like dog food.
Tip: While hard to do, try to avoid leaving snack foods and bread out on your kitchen counter, which will in-turn invite unwelcome ant visitors. (As an added plus, this will help reduce your waistline, too.)
Protein
Believe it or not, ants like to eat meat. Many ant species are actually omnivores and eat both plants and animals. Meat contains fat and protein, both of which are great sources of energy for the ant always on-the-go.
Fire ants and grease ants, specifically, like meat. But various ant species will eat meat, cheeses, and other sources of protein, as well.
Tip: We don’t want to scare you, but if you are frequently finding ants in your kitchen, you likely have a much larger ant colony very closeby. Try sealing any cracks or gaps around your doorways or window sills, but contacting a local pest control service wouldn’t hurt either.
Contact Certified Pest Control today to discuss your ant control options!
