Nov 2, 2021 | Pest Control
Ant season peaks in the spring and summertime, with these pests oftentimes finding their way inside your home. But did you know that carpenter ants remain active throughout the year? In return, they can cause damage to your home and infest.
Carpenter ants will nest in damaged wood, usually softwood damaged from water. Carpenter ant damage includes excavating wood to expand their nests, often making holes throughout exposed wood. If these ants are found inside, it is also an indication that there is a water issue, such as a leak.
While these ants are most active in the spring and summer, they are also known to infest homes during the winter months, as well. They will forage for food and water, looking for proteins, fats, and sugars. Once inside, these ants will look for a moist environment to help them survive. They can often be found in bathrooms, kitchens, pipes, and roof vents.
While carpenter ants do not die off in the winter months, they will instead become dormant when the temperatures drop. This usually depends on where they have built their nests and how much the temperature has dropped. If they have already found themselves inside, they will remain active or revive from their dormant state once the heat from the house has risen.
To prevent ants from entering your home this fall and winter, consider placing these preventative measures throughout your house,
- Eliminate moisture using a dehumidifier in crawl spaces, basements, and attics to help with dampness.
- Trim your tree branches and shrubs away from your home to eliminate access points.
- Check around your property and seal any gaps or holes with caulk.
- Reach out to your local pest control company to provide you with the best prevention and treatment options.
May 5, 2021 | Pest Control
Ants are considered one of the most pesky nuisance pests homeowners must deal with. Ants will often enter homes during the winter, seeking water and food for survival. Now, with the weather warming, is the perfect time to start putting preventative measures in the most common places ants are found – the kitchen and the bathroom!
The kitchen is an ideal place for ants to infest. These pests are constantly searching for a water source, and the kitchen is the perfect place to find it. If the kitchen isn’t cleaned frequently and thoroughly, ants will invade quickly. Use these ant prevention tips to keep ants out of your kitchen:
- Store sweet food items, like maple syrup and honey, in plastic containers that seal tightly. Wipe them down after use to remove any sticky residue.
- Clean up all grease spills from your countertops, floors, and stove.
- Throw out any ripe fruit, as it is a major attraction to ants.
- If you have pets, pick up any leftover food and wash their bowls frequently.
The bathroom is highly vulnerable to an ant infestation as all the excess moisture will attract them. Carpenter ants will build their nests in damp areas, such as behind bathroom tiles or under sinks. To prevent ants from infesting your bathroom, take these preventative measures:
- Always inspect your sink, toilets, and tubs for any leaks and drips to avoid excess moisture.
- Give your bathroom a good, thorough cleaning by scrubbing the floors with disinfectant cleanser and wiping down the insides of your drawers.
- Frequently check that your shampoo, lotion, and soap bottles are tightly sealed and no contents have spilled out.
If you’ve noticed an influx of ants inside your home, consider calling your local pest control company. Trained service professionals will set you up with a prevention and treatment plan to help prevent these pests during peak ant season.
Mar 31, 2021 | Pest Control
Every homeowner dreads discovering an ant infestation, whether inside or outside the home. Ants can be a major nuisance as they contaminate food, build their nests in unwanted places, and destroy property. One type of ant in particular, the carpenter ant, is considered a “silent destroyer,” often causing severe damage to homes undetected by excavating wood. These pests can be tough to eliminate but it is possible.
Carpenter ants are ½” to 5/8” long, and are usually red, black, brown, or a combination of these in color. These ants build their nests by creating smooth tunnels inside wood, preferring wet, damp wood. Common places carpenter ants will build their nests include tree stumps, fence posts, window and doorframes, firewood, and other various places with exposed wood. Carpenter ant nests can be problematic to your home as the tunnels they create can damage the structural soundness of wood throughout your property. If you notice sawdust or wood fragments falling throughout your property, there is a good chance that carpenter ants have infested.
Carpenter ants need a constant water source to survive. The first step in preventing ants like these is to eliminate moisture or standing water throughout your property. Consider using a dehumidifier in crawlspaces, basements, and attics to help with dampness. Trim your tree branches and shrubs away from your home, as ants can use these as an access point. Take it a step farther by looking around your property for any gaps or holes and sealing these up with caulk, as ants only need the smallest gap to get inside a house.
Preventing ants might seem like a daunting task; when ants infest it can seem like they are everywhere! Consider reaching out to your local pest control company where they can provide you with a prevention and treatment plan during peak ant season.
Dec 24, 2019 | Pest Control
Ants are the most commonly reported pest in the country. While ants can be found just about anywhere in your home, the kitchen and bathroom are the most common rooms they are spotted in. Tiny black ants, also known as “nuisance ants,” or “odorous house ants,” invade your kitchen in search of food and water. While these nuisance pests are quite common, you may not know much about them. Here are 6 things you should know about these ants in your kitchen.
1. They Don’t Cause Damage
Ants don’t typically live indoors but instead establish colonies around your property. They will then make their way indoors in search of food and water. While odorous house ants can be quite a nuisance when they invade your kitchen, they don’t pose any significant risk to humans or their homes. These ants will feed on food and drink, especially sugary, sweet items and are attracted to crumbs and spills usually found in your kitchen. They don’t, however, bore through wood or cause structural damage to your home.
2. You Can Usually Follow The Source
Ants in the kitchen are usually coming from somewhere and traveling to somewhere. If you follow their trail in both directions you can usually identify the food source that is attracting them. Cleaning up the spill or eliminating the food source will typically eliminate the ant problem. Ants can squeeze through openings the size of a pinhole, however, so while sealing up any entry points you find is a good idea, don’t be surprised if they make their way in again in the future.
3. Ants Are Seasonal
Like most pests, ants are seasonal and incidences typically ebb and flow. Ants most commonly spike in the spring and summer when the weather warms up. This increase in temperature also increases their activity, driving them indoors in droves. They are also much more common following unseasonably warm winters. This is also swarming ant season which also increases their activity.
4. Ants Can Communicate
Ants are very social and have developed communication methods between each other. Ants can communicate through touch and through shared food. This communication helps them to avoid repellent remedies. Repellents like chalk that are placed in a line are often avoided by ants who just go around them. Spraying them with repellents will kill a few on contact but will typically just repel the rest, causing them to scatter but not die. A professional can treat ants with non-repellent products that they will take back to their colonies and disseminate among the entire population.
5. Identification Is Key
Different species of ants are attracted to different things and are treated in different ways. Proper identification is key to complete elimination. If you have an ant problem, try not to kill them all yourself because then your pest control company cannot identify them accurately. Best practice is to either leave them alone or try to collect samples by using tape to pick up a few and placing them in a Ziploc bag.
6. Ants Can Be Difficult To Control
Ant control is difficult as they can get into your home through the tiniest of openings. Most ants are just a nuisance and can be gotten rid of by sealing your food and keeping spills and crumbs cleaned up. This does not, however, get rid of the colonies lurking outside your home waiting to get back in in search of food. If you suspect you have an ant problem or are having difficulty getting rid of an existing ant problem, contact a professional pest control company who can help properly identify the species of ant and provide the appropriate ant control techniques.
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