If you've started finding ants in your house, it's just a matter of time before you have a full-blown infestation. Ants don't usually travel alone. They may send one or two scouts out, but as soon as they find the right spot, they come out in droves. That's when you end up with an infestation. Unfortunately, once you have an infestation of ants, it can be nearly impossible to get rid of them. That's why you've got to get ahead of the problem. Here are four steps you can take to keep ants out of your home.

Close Down the Buffet

Ants love to find free food. That's why they're always rummaging through your cabinets. They're looking for that small bread crumb that got left behind, or that bag of chips that didn't get sealed up tightly enough. Once they find the buffet, they'll go get all their friends. The best way to stop the invasion is to close down the buffet. Keep on top of those little spills that can attract the scout ants. Take a vacuum to your cabinets at least once a week to clear away the crumbs that will bring the ants into your home. Finally, keep your cereal and other dry goods in air tight containers. That way, the odor won't attract the ants.

Close Off Access to Your House

Once you close down the buffet, you've got to lock the doors. Ants can't invade your home if they don't have a way in. The best way to keep ants out of your house is to seal off the cracks that are acting as revolving doors. If you've got cracks in the stucco, use some latex caulking to seal them up. If you've got damaged window screens, get them repaired. It's also a good idea to apply a fresh strip of caulking around your window frames and door jambs. Not only will that help keep the ants out, it will go a long way towards keeping other pests out, as well.

Eliminate the Tracks

When ants crawl along your floors and counter tops, they leave a scented trail for other ants to follow. If you're not diligent in your cleanup efforts, ants could leave a virtual highway leading through your home. To get rid of the highway, you need to eliminate the ant tracks. You can do that by wiping down your counters, and washing your kitchen floors with a vinegar and lemon juice solution. Fill your bucket with warm water. Add a cup of vinegar and ¼ cup of lemon juice to the water and use it to clean your floors. You can use the same vinegar and lemon juice solution to wipe down your counters and eliminate the ant tracks.

Locate the Source

Once you've done everything indoors to to eliminate the ants, you'll need to locate the source. You'll need to find the ant hill. That's where the ant control exterminator comes in handy. They'll locate the ant hill and eliminate the problem right at the source.