It takes sweat to keep ants out of your home. Lots of sweat. The only way to avoid the sweat is to have someone else sweat for you. Today, we're going to offer up five no-sweat ant prevention tips that aren't difficult to do, when you have someone else do them.

1. Yard Work

In the fall, something less than magical happens in many Chicago yards; the leaves fall. It can be a difficult task to rake all the leaves up and to get them out of your landscaping, but it is important that you do. Leaves, sticks, and other organic debris can promote ant activity around your home. Fortunately, there are people you can hire to blow the leaves out of your landscaping, drive around in your yard with a mulcher, and remove the leaves from your yard.

2. Fix Plumbing Issues

Moisture and humidity inside your home can make your home an ideal habitat for ants. They'll live in voids near humid or damp spaces, and they'll come out to drink droplets of water in sinks, tubs, and showers that have leaky faucets. If you don't want ants in your home, the best way to keep them outside is to take care of plumbing issues. You can do this yourself or hire a professional to do the job.

Before ants get into your home, damp conditions around your home can invite ants to establish themselves near your foundation walls. This dampness can be caused by many things, but a clogged gutter system is top of the list. It is vital that your gutters work the way they're supposed to; but who has the time, energy, or equipment to safely get up there and clean those gutters? We recommend having a licensed professional handle this job. They have the training and equipment to do the job and insurance to cover any accidents, if they occur.

3. Seal Entry Points

Ants get into Chicago homes because they can. If you make it more difficult for them, you can reduce your interior ant issues. There are many ways you can keep ants out. Some are more difficult to address than others.

• The seals around exterior doors are notorious for allowing ants inside. Ants can get in through gaps around door frames, wood holes created by wood-destroying pests, and they can slip past weatherstripping and door sweeps. It doesn't take much effort to use a caulking gun to seal gaps around your frames or to fill in holes created by pests, but replacing weatherstripping, door sweeps, and the wood frame around your exterior doors can be more work. You can get a handyman for these tasks if you don't have the skills, energy, or inclination to do them yourself.

• There can be many cracks and gaps in your foundation walls. It can be a lot of work to fill in gaps around pipes, or to apply a sealant to your foundation. But it is important to seal these openings if you want to stop ants and other pests from getting inside.

• Ants often get in through moisture points. Not only do you have to seal gaps around pipes on the outside of your home, but on the inside as well. If you don't want to get under your sinks and seal gaps around your pipes, you can get someone to do this for you. It is well worth the investment. The sealing of gaps is an eco friendly and practical way to keep pests out of your home.

4. Keep Your Home Clean

When one little ant gets into your home and finds a food source, it doesn't take long for thousands of ants to come inside. That one little ant returns to its nest outside and leaves a trail for other ants to follow. You can prevent this from happening by taking steps to prevent ants from finding food in your home. We often give tips such as putting pet food down only during meals, putting dishes in a sink of soapy water, or storing food in sealed containers. But ants can find food in unexpected places, like under and around your oven and refrigerator. It is important to do a deep cleaning every once in a while. You can roll your sleeves up and do this yourself, or hire a cleaning service to get your home as clean as a whistle.

5. Apply Products To Eliminate Ants

When ants come into your yard and try to get into your home, the best way to stop them is to apply pest control products, but it can be difficult to find the right baits or to apply the right EPA approved granules to get control of ants. Plus, it's a lot of hard work! If you live in Chicago, let the pest control service professionals here at Aerex Pest Control do that hard work for you. We use field-tested products and methods to achieve effective control of ants and other pests.

For more information about Chicago pest control, or to schedule service, reach out to Aerex Pest Control today. We're here to help.