From the backyard to the kitchen counter, you’re likely to find ants just about everywhere you turn. And while these small creatures perform vital ecological roles, they can be a major nuisance when they decide to take up residence inside your home.
Ants aren’t only annoying, they can also be dangerous. Here’s what you need to know in order to identify, prevent, and eliminate a serious infestation in your home or business.
How Did Ants Get In Your Home?
Ants are some of the most widespread creatures on the entire planet. They come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and behaviors, with thousands of different ant species dispersed around the globe. Some of the more common ant species include acrobat ants, Argentine ants, carpenter ants, fire ants, odorous ants, and pavement ants.
Ants of all species are divided into three different colony castes: workers, males, or queens. Worker ants are usually the leaders in infesting a home. Typically, poor sanitation is to blame when an ant infestation occurs. If you have a tendency to leave dirty dishes in the sink or food crumbs on countertops – or if you don’t empty your trash regularly – you are more likely to attract ants, who use the mess as a source of food.
Why are Ants a Problem?
Ants themselves aren’t a major problem – particularly if you have only a few hanging out inside your home. However, ants carry bacteria on their bodies. This bacteria spreads when they crawl around. If you have ants roaming around in your pantries or your countertops, you have a higher likelihood of being infected by these bacteria. Some species of ants also transmit diseases.
Other species of ants can cause more serious problems. Carpenter ants, for example, cause extensive damage to your home by chewing intricate tunnels through wooden support systems. Fire ants, on the other hand, can inflict painful stings. These can cause serious allergic reactions and even anaphylactic shock in people who are sensitive.
DIY Removal Practices
Ant prevention is definitely easier than pest eradication. To keep ants out, you need to make sure you are enacting good sanitation and maintenance measures. You should know that ants can enter into your home through the smallest crevices, seeking out water and sweet foods that you might have in your kitchen or bathroom.
Once you have a couple of ants, you will have a thousand, as ants leave behind invisible trails of scent. These trials contain pheromones that invite other ants to follow. Ants can nest just about anywhere inside your home, and colonies can grow up to half a million individuals in size.
Keep your home clean and tidy to prevent ants, and make sure any cracks in the walls or tears in screens are replaced. Know that most DIY ant control methods only kill visible ants, and they don’t get rid of the scent trails that pose the real threat. It is more important that you prevent an ant infestation before it grows out of hand.
Contact the Best Residential Exterminator for Ants
A serious ant problem can be tough to get rid of – and with so many species of ants in the world, it can be even more difficult when you don’t have a good idea of what exactly you’re working with.
That’s where Liberty Pest Pros, the best pest control company in Nassau County, can help you out. We are a family owned and operated, fully licensed pest control company that serves all of Nassau County as well as Oceanside, Long Island, and the surrounding area.
We don’t believe in a cookie-cutter approach to pest control, which is why we will work with you throughout every step of the process to deliver the personalized and attentive service you deserve.
Don’t worry about your ant problem another second. Contact the best pest control company in Nassau County today to receive your customized solution.