Most ants lay low during the winter, but small ants can sometimes be persistent if temperatures remain warmer than usual.

A good cold snap or two typically means they’ll disappear and not intrude in your home until at least spring, but if you are seeing ants, here are some steps you can take:

• Rule out that the small ants aren’t coming in from houseplants. One customer in particular called us mentioning seeing small ants, but later told us he had traced them to some houseplants brought in during a cold snap. Once he had the plants back out, the major issue was handled.
• Clean up counters and floors including any spills and food bits. It won’t take much for ants to find a crumb or dried sweet liquid or even water spills around the sink. Do a thorough clean once and then every couple days look it over to make sure there aren’t any new treats.
• Often that wipe down is enough because it also disrupts the trail they’ve put down for other ants to find the food or sweet. You can use a mild detergent (soap) or any household cleaner to cleanse that trail even more thoroughly.
• Try consumer-brand, inexpensive sugar baits. You can make your own combining boric acid and sugar (various recipes available online) or purchase a product called Terro which is a similar combination of ingredients. Place some of those baits around your kitchen or bath and often that’s enough to take care of the issue. Terro is available at online retailers and local home stores.

If the little ants are still marching all over your home despite your best efforts, give us a call. Despite their size they can sometimes be persistent and tough. And in some cases it may be fire ants, crazy ants or another species altogether.

We can treat them professionally to help rid you of the tiny pests. Call us at (512) 443-0123 or fill out our website form for a fast quote.