Ants won't go near your kitchen if you do easy 5-minute task before going to bed
Ants are a common frustration in UK households, but one daily habit can stop them moving in.
As summer approaches, one of the nation's most dreaded pests begins their march back into UK homes. Ants often first show up in the kitchen and once they are established it can be tricky to get rid of them.
Glen Peskett, DIY expert and company director at Saxton Blades, says there is one habit that will stop ants coming back - and it just takes five minutes. He said: “This is the time of year when ants really pick up. “As soon as it gets warmer, they’re out looking for food and water a lot more, and kitchens are one of the easiest places for them to find it.
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"The sink area is a bit of a hotspot because it’s damp and there’s often tiny bits of residue there, even if it looks clean.”
At the end of the day, a lot of households are guilty of leaving the kitchen sink scattered with damp cloths, pools of water or even bits of food. These are all magnets for ants.
Glen explained: “If you leave standing water, damp cloths, or bits of food around the sink, you’re basically giving them everything they need. If you spend a minute before bed drying it down and clearing it away, you’re just taking away what they’re looking for.”
The best way to combat ants in your kitchen is to take five minutes at the end of every day for a kitchen reset. This involves emptying and drying the sink, washing and putting away all dishes and running hot water down the sink hole.
After this, wipe the taps and the surrounding area to make sure it is all clean and dry.
Glen said: “If they find a steady source of water and food traces, they will keep returning,” says Glen. “Once that pattern starts, it is much harder to stop.”
If you have a full-scale infestation already, you’ll need some stronger tactics to deal with them - but by adopting this quick daily habit, you can stop the colony from establishing itself in the first place.
