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It can be so weird and annoying to find ants all over your floor and most people find it surprising that ants can climb the stairs. Having ants around your home can be a frustrating pesky problem.
Fortunately, it is easy to get rid of these ants, but to keep them completely out, you have to be diligent about cleaning and making sure there is no food lying around.
Having ants on the second floor of your home can be a nuisance and some strategies have to be put in place for you to get rid of them. However, before we delve into how to get rid of these ants, you should understand why ants are infesting your second floor and then get rid of the reason.
Your ant problem can disappear as quickly as they come when the root of the matter is settled. However, if you still find these ants loitering around your second floor, we have provided some valuable tips and methods in this article to help you eliminate them.
How do Ants Get to The Second Floor of The House?
Many people still find it surprising that ants can get to the upper parts of the house in a blink of an eye since they have tiny legs. Ants can get upstairs when they found a water source or trail the sweet odor of food. Rotting wood in the ceiling and windows can also draw ants to the second floor.
Ants might have tiny legs but they climb really fast and easily reach every location in your house from the kitchen to the bathroom. They get upstairs through different routes which include;
- Climbing walls
- Following tree branch
- Climb plumbing pipes
- Ridge vents
- Moving through wall cavities
- Through bathroom drains
- Crawl across ceilings.
Ants do not have the risk of falling because they can maintain a firm grip by using the tiny hairs on their foot. Food and water and the major reasons why ants will move toward the upper portion of your home.
Ants On Second Floor: Getting Rid Of Ants Upstairs
Ants are really very resourceful creatures so finding them climbing your stairs shouldn’t be surprising. Ants are attracted to food so you might want to get any temptation away first and remove all garbage from your home daily. But if you already have ants on your second floor, below are some of the effective ways to get rid of them.
1. Use of Natural Repellents
Some natural repellents are very effective against all types of ants. Ants are not a fan of some ingredients like cinnamon, peppermint oil, lemon juice, or coffee grounds and most contain anti-repellent properties as well.
So, when you are having any problems in any part of your home, simply grab some of these basic kitchen ingredients and sprinkle them all over the stairs when the ant is found. You can also mix this substance with water and spray it around any entry point like the doors and windows.
2. Use Ants Baits or Traps
Another method that can be used in getting rid of ants upstairs is the use of bait or traps. Placing the ant’s traps or baits can help control your ant’s problems efficiently. Place ants baits or trap at the entry point, the ants will get attracted to it and get stuck then eventually killing the colony.
Ant baits often come in either gels, stations, or granules. You can use any kind of bait to get rid of ants upstairs but it is recommended that you use one that has both sugar and protein bases.
3. Keep A Clean House
We have mentioned this in the introduction however it’s apparently very important if you want to completely get rid of ants on the second floor or anywhere in your home.
Ants are attracted to food and water sources so it is helpful to establish a regular cleaning routine and a full pantry cleaning, you can do this once a week.
Keep your cabinets, countertops, and pantry areas free of any crumbs. It may also help to keep your cabbage in a can that has a tight-fitting lid. Do not leave dirty in the sink as they might attract ants and if you are putting dishes in the dishwasher, rinse them thoroughly.
4. Seal And Spray Insecticide Around Any Entry Points
It doesn’t matter that the ants are found on your second floor, they definitely have an entry point. So, you should seal any cracks or holes you find around the stairs, windows, doors, or any popular entry for ants. You may not be able to get every point so use insecticide around the area to keep them out.
Spraying insects at the entry points will prevent more ants from coming in and you want to spray enough to wet the surface but not to soak it. Ensure to use an insecticide that contains bifenthrin, permethrin, and deltamethrin. You can spray around the perimeter of the stairs and house too.
5. Call A Professional Exterminator
If you suspect these ants are carpenter ants, they are quite difficult to get rid of so we recommend exterminators to help. Exterminators can assess the problem and also catalog the extent of the damage. They are the best option for getting rid of all kinds of ants problem and would apply insecticide as needed.
Wrapping Up
It is common to see ants crawling inside a room through a hole, wall, or ceiling cracks and this is because they have soft bodies and no risk of falling to their death.
Also, they can search any part of the house looking for food so they can get to the upper parts of the house in an attempt to find this food and seek warm temperatures as well.
Luckily, you can easily get rid of them using the methods above. But most importantly, you want to block all their entry points, and fix leaks and it is further helpful to establish a weekly cleaning routine.
