lukriss

Ant Species	Size	Preferred Food	Peak Season	Colony Size
Odorous House Ants	1/8 inch	Sweets, honeydew	March-October	100-10,000
Carpenter Ants	1/4-1/2 inch	Proteins, sweets	May-September	3,000-50,000
Pavement Ants	1/8 inch	Grease, seeds	April-October	3,000-4,000
Pharaoh Ants	1/16 inch	Everything	Year-round	300,000+
Argentine Ants	1/8 inch	Sweets, oils	March-November	Millions

lukriss

Location	Material Needed	Application Tip	Success Rate
Window frames	Acrylic caulk	Apply in 45°F-90°F weather	89% effective
Door bottoms	Rubber sweep	Leave 1/8" floor clearance	92% effective
Pipe penetrations	Expanding foam	Fill 50% of gap depth	87% effective
Foundation cracks	Concrete sealant	Clean debris first	94% effective
Electrical outlets	Foam gaskets	Install behind face plates	76% effective

lukriss

Target Ants	Bait Recipe	Placement	Timeline
Sugar ants	1 tbsp borax + 3 tbsp honey + warm water	Cotton balls near trails	3-7 days
Grease ants	1 tsp borax + 2 tbsp peanut butter	Bottle caps along walls	5-10 days
Carpenter ants	1 tbsp borax + 3 tbsp jam + 1 tbsp bacon grease	Near wood damage	7-14 days
Mixed species	Commercial gel bait	Every 12 inches on trails	3-21 days

lukriss

Season	Critical Tasks	Why It Matters
Spring	Seal winter damage, trim vegetation	Blocks new colony establishment
Summer	Increase baiting, fix moisture issues	Manages peak populations
Fall	Clear gutters, caulk gaps	Prevents overwintering indoors
Winter	Indoor deep clean, pantry organization	Eliminates food sources

lukriss

Method	Initial Cost	Annual Maintenance	Effectiveness	Time Investment
DIY Natural	$30-50	$100-150	75-85%	2-3 hours/month
DIY Chemical	$50-100	$200-300	80-90%	1-2 hours/month
Professional Service	$200-500	$400-800	95-99%	30 minutes/quarter
Ant-Free Living Guide	$37	$50-75	90-95%	1 hour/month