Whether a pest is dangerous or simply a nuisance, discerning homeowners don’t want any of them inside the home or around the yard. Aside from just being gross to look at, insects like ants can contaminate food sources and cause headaches when you try to get rid of them using DIY methods.
Common Area Ants & What They Harm
The most common ants to invade your home or garden aren’t aggressive or known to bite humans, but all kinds of ants can spread germs or bacteria, potentially contaminating countertops and food sources as they forage for food. Knowing how to identify the variety of ant is the first step in getting rid of them:
- Pavement ants: These common black ants are small and are generally seen outside, taking advantage of the cracks in the sidewalk to nest or get under the soil.
- Thief ants: The smallest type of commonly invasive ants, this type likes to steal food from other colonies, hence its burglar name. That means that if one nest crops up, other ancillary colonies are not far off from forming.
- Carpenter ants: These are more dangerous than other ants because they bore into wood and can cause structural damage or faults. They tend to be dark colored or black and look a lot like pavement ants (only much larger), though their wood-boring behavior is unique.
Ant Prevention 101
The best way to deal with ants is to not have to deal with them at all. Keeping your home clean and unattractive to their populations will keep you one step ahead:
- Food messes: Quickly clean up spills or crumbs. Having food traces around will certainly attract ants inside your home. Make sure you get underneath heavy appliances.
- Food storage: Properly sealing your food in sturdy containers or bags will prevent bugs like ants from chewing through packaging and contaminating food. Don’t forget about pet food being left out on the floor, either
- Garbage disposal: The same goes for your trash. Not only do you need to securely bag it, but having secure lids or locked trash bins outside is important, too.
More Ant Prevention Steps
Ants aren’t just a problem inside the home. They can be nuisances out in your garden, too, and can make their way indoors from exterior access points. Keep these measures in mind for proper ant control:
- Landscaping: Having vegetation running right up to or alongside the walls of your home provides easy highways for ants to get near your home. Keep these trimmed back and keep soil beds at least 18 inches from your house.
- Access points: Routinely checking the outside of your home for cracks or holes, particularly along edges where materials overlap — or where wires or pipes enter the structure — is a good thing to get in the habit of. You’re looking for anywhere that a bug could easily crawl through and you should seal these areas off with quick-drying caulk or other sealant.
- Windows & doors: Improper or faulty wooden frames or exterior screens can also provide easy access for bugs of all kinds. Make sure to replace or patch faulty materials.
Expert Help Brings Certainty
Rather than try to go it alone with all these prevention steps and inspections, it’s best to turn to professional help. For more advice or assistance on ant prevention or removal, turn to the experts at Peace Of Mind Pest Control. We can make sure all problem areas have been checked and provide you with best practices for identifying and removing ants inside your home.
Don’t let your home become a haven for ant colonies, call Peace Of Mind for complete pest control.
