Pavement ants in Monmouth County come into yards, looking for food and water. If you know what food these ants prefer, you can use this knowledge to deter pavement ants and reduce activity on your property. Here are a few ideas:

• Pavement ants eat sweets. There are many sweet food sources in your yard. Address flowering weed problems in your lawn and landscaping to remove nectar as a food source. Address aphid problems in your landscaping to remove honeydew. Remove hummingbird feeders or move them well away from your exterior.

• Pavement ants eat seeds. It is a good idea to remove bird feeders that have seeds. Some pavement ant colonies will target these feeders or gather seeds from the ground.

• Pavement ants eat meat. Some pavement ant species have a preference for eating insects both dead and alive. Replace exterior lights that cast white light with lights that cast yellow light. Insects are drawn to white light.

• Pavement ants can find sweets and meats in your garbage. Clean and deodorize your trash receptacles to remove the scents that can attract pavement ants.

• Pavement ants need to drink water. Address conditions that cause puddles to form, such as clogged gutters and dense landscape vegetation. Remove objects that collect rainwater.

These tips will not eliminate pavement ants, but they can go a long way toward deterring ant activity on your property. If you want to get rid of pavement ants, you’ll need to use ant control products and methods.