Ants are coming to invade your Georgia home if they haven’t already. How to keep them out

Chelsea Madden
·2 min read

“The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah.”

This beloved children’s song is certainly true. They do come marching in, one by one, but where they end up is the issue.

If you’ve been seeing ants in your Georgia home, you’re not the only one and chances are, there are more coming.

Why are they active right now?

According to the University of Georgia’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, “As the weather cools across the state, several fall insects will begin to take center stage around Georgia homes.”

What kind of ants are they & why do they come in?

Most commonly, they are Argentine ants or what we refer to as “sugar ants.”

“When we start having cold snaps beginning in October, this ant will start to invade homes looking for a warm place to overwinter,” said Dan Suite, an entomologist at the University of Georgia.

“This species can have hundreds of queens within a colony, so they spend all summer building their colonies and this is the time of year that population sizes peak — just before coming indoors — so they quickly become a nuisance of homeowners right about now and into winter.”

The ants will come marching in this fall and winter. Here’s how to keep them out of your home.
The ants will come marching in this fall and winter. Here’s how to keep them out of your home.

How to protect your home and keep them away

Here are some tips to keep the little pests from marching in your home this fall and winter, according to Breda Pest Management:

  • Check the exterior of your home for any cracks or holes, especially at ground level.

  • Eliminate any food and water source for ants. It’s no surprise that the most common places where ant infestations begin are places where food is present, like pantries and kitchens. Keep all stored food in airtight containers or securely sealed.

  • Check for standing water or leaks around your home. Check all pipes around your home and make sure to address any leaks or cracks.

  • You can use traps. Ant bait traps are popular and affordable products that seem to offer immediate results, but you have to keep in mind that you’re not addressing the entire problem when you use these traps. Ants that are in your home in the winter are likely living in a place where bait traps won’t be effective, like in your walls or sub-floors.

  • Call for backup. Contact your local pest control company as needed.

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Have more questions about ants? Let us know by leaving a comment below.