Ants are a common household pest during the summer months, and they often enter UK homes through the kitchen, but a DIY expert says there is one simple daily habit that may help keep them at bay
As summer draws near, one of Britain’s most unwelcome pests starts making its way back into households across the country. Ants typically appear first in the kitchen, and once they’ve settled in, removing them can prove challenging.
Glen Peskett, DIY expert and company director at Saxton Blades, reveals there’s one simple routine that will prevent ants returning – and it only requires 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 much more often, and kitchens are among the easiest places for them to find it.
“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.”
Come evening time, many homes are guilty of leaving their kitchen sink littered with wet cloths, puddles of water or even food scraps.
All of these attract ants, reports the Express.
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 most effective way to tackle ants in your kitchen is to set aside five minutes each evening for a kitchen reset.
This means emptying and drying the sink, washing up and storing all crockery, and flushing hot water down the plughole.
Following this, clean the taps and surrounding surfaces to ensure everything is spotless and moisture-free.
Glen said: “If they find a steady source of water and food traces, they will keep returning. Once that pattern starts, it is much harder to stop.”
Should you already be dealing with a full-blown infestation, you’ll require more robust methods to tackle it – but by implementing this simple daily routine, you can prevent the colony from setting up home in the first place.
