Ants are one of the most frustrating pests you can experience in your home. Whether they’re in the general areas of your home, in your bathrooms, or in your basement, they’re always annoying to deal with. This is even more true if you’ve just added a new area of your home. If you’re looking for a way to keep ants from overrunning your home, especially with a new add-on, here’s everything you need to know about ants in the house.
Facts About Ants
Ants are actually extremely varied pests. Nearly every area has them and there are over 700 types of ants across the United States. Millions of ants can live in a single colony, which is why you can’t just kill the ants in your home.
Remember, prevention is key when it comes to ants. You have to avoid letting ants inside at all because you probably can’t kill the millions of ants in a colony near your home. Instead, you should make sure you don’t have any entry points for them.
Common Entry Points for Ants
Ants can come into your home through extremely small entryways. These are just a few of the most common entry points you may find.
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Wall Cracks
If you have any cracks in your walls, even if they’re extremely small, it’s absolutely possible for an ant to come in through those cracks. This is especially important to pay attention to when you have a new add-on because you’ve typically added new external walls. Those external walls need to be completely crack-free to avoid an ant infestation.
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AC and Heating Units
Ants always want water and food, like all living things. Air conditioning and heating units typically use water to help with the cooling or heating because water is a great conductor. That means ants will come to the air conditioning and heating units. If there’s any way for those ants to get through, especially with cracks around the units, the ants will find them.
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Cracked Pavements and Foundations
Any cracked pavement or cracked foundations in your home can be an entry point for ants. Remember, ants are great at getting into extremely small spaces and they’re also great at burrowing. Even if the crack in your foundation is below ground, ants can still get inside. That’s one reason it’s so important to be careful even when you’re doing renovations on underground areas like your basement.
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Ill-Fitting Windows and Doors
Did your new add-on include additional windows or doors? You need to make sure they fit extremely well. Even the smallest mismatch between windows and doorframes and the rest of the wall can lead to disasters for your home. Ants aren’t the only pest that can come in through these frames, either. Whenever you’re handling new windows and doorframes, you should make sure they match tightly.
Is Your New Add-On at Risk?
These tips are all important to keep in mind for a new add-on. Whether you have a brand-new home or an older one, ants are always a potential problem that you need to consider before you consider your new add-on “complete.”
Ants can come in through a variety of methods, all of which you can take steps to avoid. As long as you’re careful to prevent new entry points for ants, a new add-on probably won’t increase your risk of ants any more than other home renovations.
However, it’s important that you make sure your new home renovation is as stable as possible. If you have a low-quality add-on, you can have plenty of problems, not just ants. Before you decide on a new home add-on, it’s a good idea to talk to a foundation expert about your home’s options in order to avoid problems.
