Winter in Massachusetts doesn't always mean the ants are gone.

As New Englanders, we all know just how fickle Mother Nature can be. One day it’s snow squalls and frozen roads, the next we’re hanging up our scarves on a sunny 50-degree afternoon. It can be confusing—not just for us, but for pests that prefer to avoid inclement weather. While it may be a surprising sight, it is not uncommon for ants in Massachusetts to march during winter.

Most ants go into hibernation mode in cold months, winterizing their colonies and staying close to one another to keep warm and protect the queen. But when a warm spell hits, as they so often do in our unpredictable winters, it can fool them into leaving the nest to forage for food. In warmer seasons, ants typically enter your home seeking food to bring back to a nest outside, but if you are seeing ants inside in the winter, it is likely that a colony has found a cozy place in your house.

So now what? How can you evict these unwelcome guests? Over-the-counter products and killing only the ants you see will not solve the problem. Locating the nest is critical to eliminating the colony but can prove difficult; ants will search for well-hidden spots such as inside walls, floors, door and window frames, even appliances. Once an ant colony has established itself in your home, a professional inspection is often the only way to find a cure.

In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to keep winter ant invasions at bay:

• Keep surfaces clean. Regularly cleaning floors and wiping countertops and tables, particularly after mealtime, cuts down on ant food sources.
• Seal your food. Store food in your pantry in airtight containers or sealed bags.
• Keep pet food off the floor. When possible, keep pet food and water dishes off the floor as this is an open invitation to foraging ants.
• Minimize moisture. Check around your home for possible water sources: plumbing leaks, dishes full of standing water in the kitchen sink, puddles around the shower in your bathroom, and even house plants can be culprits. Ants need water to survive; if you take that away, they have no choice but to move on.
• Close up entry points. Caulking small cracks around doors and windows or utility lines helps to prevent ants coming inside. Unfortunately, if they’re already inside, this will only help stave off future infestations.
• Dispose of garbage regularly. Ants are not picky eaters. If there is food in your trash can, they will find it.

Following these tips can help reduce the presence of ants year-round, but winter ants present unique challenges that require professional intervention.

Our programs offer annual coverage for ants and many other pests. Call our office for a free inspection and estimate. We can take care of what’s bugging you!