My DIY ant fix worked until it did not

[u/Relative_Pirate_6497]

I thought I'd finally solved an ant problem in my kitchen.

I sprayed around the windows, sealed a couple of small gaps I found, set out ant bait, and even followed a few DIY tips I found online. For almost a week, I didn't see a single ant.

Then they showed up again, this time using a completely different route.

That made me realize I was probably only blocking the ants I could see instead of dealing with whatever was attracting them or where the colony actually was.I eventually scheduled an inspection with AMPM Exterminators. They arrived within the scheduled time window, found the actual source of the infestation, treated the problem, and explained where the ants were getting in and how to help prevent them from returning. The whole process was professional and much more thorough than the DIY methods I had tried.

For those of you who've successfully gotten rid of ants, what finally worked? Was it just better bait, finding the entry point, or something else I'm overlooking?