Dealing with an ant infestation in your home is no picnic, despite how entertaining early cartoons make it seem. If you think back, earlier cartoons made ants out as funny pests that would invade picnics and carry human-sized food on their backs to their colonies to feed them. It actually was pretty funny to see a tiny ant carrying a whole apple pie or chicken leg on its back. Although those were humorous depictions of ants in cartoons, there is some truth behind those depictions.
There are many different species of ants in the United States, and here in West Chester, the majority of ants are nuisance ants: acrobat ants, pavement ants, and odorous house ants. The good news is that these ants aren't necessarily dangerous, but they still don't belong inside our homes.
Naturally, at the first sight of ants in your home, your gut reaction is to grab the ant spray to kill them immediately. This is certainly important, but if you see one or two, it's safe to assume there are more. However, once you kill a few ants, taking a moment to really look at the ants is of great importance. Knowing what types of ants are infesting your home is going to be key in figuring out where they're coming from and what is attracting them to your home.
This is, of course, not the most ideal situation, and if you want no parts of the ant infestation in your home, calling your local West Chester pest control is going to be the most effective first course of action to take.
How To Identify An Ant Infestation In Your Home
Your home is supposed to be your sanctuary – your place of peace. Unfortunately, when ants gain access inside your home, this sanctuary becomes everything but a place of peace. When an ant infestation lands in your home, calling for pest control ant treatment is the surefire solution.
However, how do you know when to call ant control professionals? Aside from seeing physical ants crawling around your home, what are other indicators of an ant infestation?
Well, there are a few signs of ant infestations, including discarded wings, structural damage, crumbling wood, piles of dirt, and rustling noises inside the walls of your home. However, you have to be careful determining these indicators, as they're also indicators of other types of pests.
Crumbling wood and structural damage are significant signs of termites and carpenter bees, as well as ants. Additionally, if you hear rustling noises in your walls, that could be anything from ants or mice to moths or termites. Seeing physical ants inside your home will be the biggest determining factor that will let you know if you have an ant problem.
It's also important to note that if you are still seeing the other indicators in your home but aren't seeing physical ants, there's a very high chance that your home could be infested by other pests that are more skilled at hiding than ants. In that case, you still want to call for home pest control in West Chester, so you'll know what's in your home, even if it isn't ants.
The Many Problems Ants Can Create In Your Home
Did you know that ants have an impeccable sense of smell? Certain species of ants can pick up the scent of food as far as over 10 feet away. Some species can even smell at almost double that distance! This powerful sense of smell is great for ants, as it helps them find food for their colonies, but it's bad for West Chester residents, as it forces you to really mind your Ps and Qs in regards to not attracting ants to your home. Even the tiniest speck of sugar will send an alert out to these invasive pests!
Depending on the types of ants invading your home, you could find yourself dealing with problems you never thought something as small as an ant could present.
Other Pests
One of the major problems that ants cause is that they attract bigger, predatory pests. For instance, spiders love ants as meals, and this includes the dangerous black widow and brown recluse spiders. So, if you notice an influx of spiders in your home, it could be because of your ant problem. Getting rid of ants as quickly as possible will reduce the chances of other pests entering your home as well.
Home Damage
You may know that termites are one of the major causes of property damage. However, certain species of ants can cause similar home damage. Carpenter ants create nests within decaying wood in your home. They don't eat the wood, but they tunnel through it specifically to build their nests, damaging your home's structural integrity as they go.
Health Risks
Ants may seem harmless, but they pose some serious health risks. When ants enter your home, they have the potential to spread various diseases, bacteria, and pathogens. A simple scurry across a piece of fruit also puts you at risk of contracting those diseases.
Additionally, certain species of ants can bite or sting when they feel threatened. For instance, fire ants are notorious for stinging. Once stung, the symptoms that follow can be anything from pain and swelling to nausea and difficulty breathing, depending on how severe your reaction is to the sting. If you do find yourself getting stung by a swarm of angry fire ants, you should seek medical attention immediately.
Why You Should Call The Pros About Ants In Your House
Ants are social insects, meaning that if you see a few, there is likely an entire colony of thousands nearby. A few sprays of bug spray may kill the few ants you can see, but it will not wipe out an entire colony. Unless you're a trained pest control professional, you won't know where to begin to eradicate an ant infestation. That reason alone is why pest professionals are the key to completely eliminating ants in and around your home.
Don't trust your home to cans of bug spray. Instead, let Masters Touch Pest Solutions be your one-stop-shop to ending your ant problem.
Six Easy And Effective Tips To Prevent Future Ant Infestations
Once ants get inside your home, it can seem like they won't ever leave and that there's no solution to get rid of them completely. This is a common feeling among many people experiencing ant infestations. The good news is that there is a solution.
When it comes to your West Chester home, ants have no place in it. Investing in ant pest control with Masters Touch Pest Solutions is how to get rid of ants for good. Of course, once you've received ant control, it's up to you to do your part in maintaining your ant-free home. Here are six ant prevention methods to follow.
- Eliminate all potential food sources: Ants enjoy a lot of the same foods we enjoy, including sweets, grease, and protein. Because of that, it's critical that you clean up food and spills around your home. Things like food crumbs, spills on the floor, and leftover grease on the stove will attract ants near and far.
- Seal any potential points of entry to your home. Ants are extremely small and can fit through the tiniest of gaps and cracks in a home's exterior. Taking the time to seal any openings, cracks, or crevices thoroughly will be a major deterrent for ants trying to enter your home.
- Check your home for leaks. Many people think that ants are solely attracted to the food in your home, but ants are also attracted to water sources. If you have a leaky faucet or leaky pipes under your sinks, ants will surely follow.
- Keep your food properly stored. Again, ants are so small that they can fit into the tiniest of spaces, including food containers. That is why investing in sturdy, air-tight containers is so important. This will prevent ants from contaminating your food. This same theory applies to pet food as well. When your pet is done eating, be sure to put their food in a stored container. Also, be sure to empty their water bowls, as it can be another attractor of ants.
- Plant peppermint plants or sprinkle peppermint oil around your home. Ants are repulsed at the scent of peppermint and will likely avoid any areas with that scent.
- Maintain a clean and sanitized home. At the end of the day, the biggest attractor of ants to your home is food sources. By keeping a clean and sanitized home, you'll be keeping nuisance ants as well as other pests out.
After effective ant control services, the preventative methods listed above are the best ant control solutions to help keep ants away from your home. These efforts will give ants no reason to enter your home.
