Those little black Argentine ants are frequent invaders in Santa Clarita homes; they are tiny and very sneaky. First, only a few come inside; those are the scouts. Then, all of a sudden, you have a virtual highway of ants that are following a scent trail to food or water.

If you come home and find a swarm of ants inside, don’t panic. There are a few simple steps to take care of the problem:
Don’t disturb the ants just yet. They’re too busy to even notice you. First, find out what the ants are after (usually leftover food or spills) and where they are coming from.
Look outdoors to identify their entry point into the house.

From the inside entry point, spray the line of ants with hot soapy water and wipe up with a sponge. Ants communicate through scent-trails and the soap erases that trail.

Now the ants are in disarray and don’t know where to go, quickly grab the item the ants are in or on and put it outside in the trash. Clean up the area with more soap and water.

Next, temporarily block the entry points, inside and outside, with a smear of petroleum jelly or even a piece of tape.

Outside, spray the entry point and general area with soap and water.

For more information about keeping ants out in the first place and do’s and don’ts on using chemicals, visit: GreenSantaClarita.com.