There are several methods for keeping ants from taking up residence, including destructions of their
nests, removing their food source, building barriers to keep them out, and baiting and killing the scouts
they send out.

When beginning to secure your home against any unwelcome guest the first step will be to seal off any
areas they may have access to from the outside. As we all know, ants are tiny in size and are experts at
finding those minor entrances into your home that you may overlook.

Seal Them Out

Once you discover how the ants are getting into your home, you will need to seal those places with a
substance such as putty, glue, silicone chalk, or plaster. If you do not have any of these times on hand,
you can try a couple of temporary solutions such as poster tack or petroleum jelly.
When using silicone chalk, you will need to ensure sure you sufficiently chalk any holes or gaps around
areas such as doors, windows, and walls. Ensure that there is not the slightest amount of room left for
the ants to pass through.

Go Chemical or Natural

Now that you have the inside sealed off to any ants taking up residence, you will need to move to the
outside of your home and work on any possible routes of entry into your home with substances that
deter ants. These may be either of a chemical or a biological basis.
Commercial ant poison will not only repel but will also kill any and all unwanted ants. For a more
a natural approach, sprinkle around copious amounts of diatomaceous earth or salt where you suspect of
gaining entrance into your home.

Barrier of Tape

Lining those areas where you have seen evidence of ants with adhesive tape, with the sticky side up, can
prove a valuable means of stopping ants before they get into your home.
When they attempt to climb over the tape, they will quickly find themselves stuck and stopped in their
tracks. Remember that there can be no gaps between the tape and the surface you apply the tape to, or
the ants will find a way to crawl under it. The best option is to use double-sided tape to prevent this
from happening.

Make Use of Talcum

Various forms of powder, especially those containing talcum, have long been thought of as a viable ant
barrier, although the mechanics of how it works is not entirely understood. If you do decide to sprinkle
talcum powder around, please remember that it has been determined to possibly be carcinogenic.

The best method for having an ant-free home is to prevent the little pests from taking up residence, to
begin with. Prevention can be achieved in various manners, whether individually or in combination,
depending on the route you wish to take.