Ants, Ants, Everywhere! Why You Have Them and What You Can Do To Stop Them
Ants are social insects that live in congested colonies, and they can be beneficial or harmful to all types of humans. You may have to deal with a number of different species of ants invading your home or yard. Ants damage structures by hollowing out wood to make nests. Carpenter ants specifically are responsible for most of this damage. They also contaminate food and cause allergic reactions in some people.
Part of what makes ants so difficult to control is that they are social creatures, with queens and a logical hierarchy. In most cases, ants are harmless, but if their outdoor nests are disturbed, or if they’re looking for food (especially sweet foods), ants may come inside and become a real nuisance in our homes. If ants are invading your home and you’re having trouble getting rid of them, check this article for tips on how to keep them out!
Ants thrive during the spring and summer months.
Ants, like us humans, love being outdoors. You may see ants near your garbage can or on your kitchen floor while they search for food during these months. If you have any sweet or sticky substances left out on your counters or in cabinets, you may see them crawling around those areas as well trying to get some oh that.
The heat also makes it more likely that other pests, such as roaches and flies, will be coming into your home in search of water and/or a cool place to hide. Therefore, ants will be following too since they feed on roaches and flies when they can get their hands on them.
Most common ant issues can be resolved with either professional or do-it-yourself treatment methods.
If you spot a few ants indoors, think twice before going out and buying over the counter ant-repelling chemicals. Even if you think your problem is small, it’s better to call in a professional pest controller. Ant colonies are very difficult to eradicate, so if you find one in your home, you’ll probably want to call an ant exterminator service in your local area.
A do-it-yourself approach is generally ineffective because it targets only ants on the surface of the soil—not those inhabiting the area below, such as pavement or tile ants.
Do not use over-the-counter insecticides either! Chemicals found in these products can toxic to humans and animals. As a result, spraying them into your home can have negative effects on your health in the long run. Some repellents actually make matters worse by encouraging ants to spread out into surrounding areas instead of eliminating them altogether, such as pharaoh ants.
Ants like to follow trails, so cleaning up after cooking, eating and drinking can help avoid problems.
Generally, ants are fond of sweet food, but they will eat a variety of foods. Other popular food sources include fats, grease, meat and pet food. If you have ants in your home, there’s a good chance that you’ve been feeding them some of their favorite foods. While the odors of food and drink can attract ants, it’s more likely that they (or their scouts) have found something to eat. Most ant problems in homes come from populations established outdoors that are following trails into the home.
Most ants are tiny, measuring 1/16 to 1/8-inch long.
Typical ants measure only 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch in length. But if you think they’re too small to be a problem, you’d be wrong. No matter how small they are, ants can be dangerous. They invade houses in search of food, and they can quickly multiply into a colony that you can’t handle without professional exterminator assistance. If you want to know whether the insects in your house are ants or termites, you should learn a few things about how they behave watching them.
Each ant colony has one queen whose job is to lay eggs that hatch into more workers. Most of the time, this queen will stay hidden in the nest and only leave under special circumstances like moving colonies or starting a new location colony. A queen can be recognized by her large size compared to other worker ants—but you may need to disturb the colony if she doesn’t appear on her own.
Ant infestations in the home are often a result of multiple ant colonies nesting together, so it’s important for homeowners to enlist the help of a pest controller expert for an accurate assessment and permanent ant’s eradication solution.
Ants live in gathered groups. Colonies of ants can range in size from a few hundred to a few million ants. Each colony is made up of three different ant types: queens, workers, and males. A queen’s job is to lay eggs, which will then hatch as workers, males or future queens. Workers are sterile females that forage for food and build the nest. Males only have one job: mate with the queen(s). Some colonies have more than one queen so make sure you check that because it’s important in determining the type of treatment you will need.
Ant colonies can be found in your attic, underground or even inside your walls. Carpenter ants can cause thousands of dollars’ worth of damage by rotting the wood in your walls. If there’s one thing you should remember about ants, it’s that they never move alone. If you find even a single ant in your home, chances are there is a colony of ants somewhere hiding nearby.
Never try to treat ants yourself unless you are certain of the ant species. Different ant species react differently to different treatments, so it’s important to identify them before attempting treatment.
Calling a professional can help solve ant infestations quickly.
If you have a serious ant infestation on your hands, it’s always best to call in a professional pest control company such as Maximum Pest Control Services | Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton, Milton & Mississauga Ontario who can help you solve the ants problem very quickly. They will be able to find the source of the problem and get rid of it effectively, then work with you to prevent future problems. Maximum pest control services trained, licensed and certified bonded exterminators, have the training and the tools to get rid of all your pesky ant issues, and they’ll be able to identify what kind of ant’s type you have so that you can take steps to prevent a recurrence. Contact maximum your local trained exterminators calling today (905) 582-5502.
