Ant Prevention Quick Tips

Make your house less attractive to ants

Caulk cracks and crevices around foundations that provide entry from outside.

Trim branches and limbs of trees and shrubs that touch the building to keep ants from gaining access via these routes.

Eliminate food sources inside the building or prevent access to suitable food by keeping it in ant-proof containers.

Clean up sugary spills.

Provide a dry, vegetation-free border, such as gravel or stones, around the perimeter of house foundations to discourage nest building; wood chip mulches and landscape plants provide a good nesting environment.

Manage honeydew-producing insects such as aphids, whiteflies, psyllids, and soft scales on plants near the house. These honeydew producers often support large colonies of ants that subsequently invade homes.

Remove trees that consistently host ants and are adjacent to houses .

Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California