Among the most commonly reported pest problems are ants. Ants enter your property in search of food and water, and once reliable sources have been found, the ants will occupy the space and they will reproduce. Ants can typically lay over 100,000 eggs in just a few days. Because ants can produce large numbers of offspring at a rapid pace, even a brief encounter with a single ant in your home or business office is enough to warrant a professional inspection. There are chemicals you can purchase in attempt to take care of the situation yourself, but without proper identification of the type of ant, and without efficient treatment strategy, the efforts to eliminate the pests on your own can end up being very costly, unsafe, and ineffective.
You can avoid wasting money on useless, harmful chemicals, by seeking a professional pest control provider. Any so-called exterminator can find a way to temporarily fix the situation for you, but in order to ensure that your property is getting the best, the safest, and the most specific treatment plan, you are going to want to trust a high quality, experienced pest control service team. The professionals at Signature Pest Control are experts at pest identification and elimination strategies. Signature can identify the exact ant species infesting your property, and implement a course of action that will specifically target the issue and effectively treat the problem, as well as provide ongoing treatment to help support the prevention of future pest infestations.
While professional inspection and treatment is always recommended by Signature, there are some things you can do to help prevent ant infestations. Below is Signature Pest Control’s quick guide for avoiding ant outbreaks in your home or business.
Entry Points
- Kitchen: Food access and an ample water source makes your kitchen a constant target for an ant infestation. Be sure to clean up spills as soon as they happen and rinse empty juice containers before throwing them out. Also be aware of ant-attractors such as over-ripe fruit and water buildup around faucets.
- Bathrooms: Species such as Carpenter ants often nest under bathroom tiles or sinks. Scrub your bathroom regularly with disinfectant and check for leaks around the toilet, sink, and tub.
- Basements: These often dark, and cool areas of a home provide ideal conditions for ants, especially when a water source is available; ants love nesting damp environments.
- Seams or cracks in walls: The transition areas of floor to wall, or wall to ceiling are common places for seams and cracks to develop, effectively creating an open door for a variety of pests, including ants.
- Electrical outlets, plumbing, doors, windows, and even under floors are also key vulnerabilities that ants will take advantage of.
Accidental Entry
It is not uncommon for pests to be brought inside by mistake. The following are ways most people inadvertently invite ants into their homes:
- Plants or flowers brought inside
- Storage tubs
- Groceries
- Outdoor toys brought inside
- Used furniture or appliances
Please keep in mind, you can maintain the cleanest house in the world yet still be a target for ants. If ants are merely fleeing weather conditions and/or seeking water, or you share a wall with a not-so-tidy neighbor, you are still at risk of an infestation.
Common Species
Here are some common types of ants that you might encounter in your home:
- Acrobat ant
- Argentine ant
- Carpenter ant
- Crazy ant
- Field ant
- Red Imported Fire ant
- Harvester ant
- Little Black ant
- Odorous House ant
- Pharaoh ant
- Thief ant
Control Methods
Here are a few simple ways to help control ant outbreaks:
- Eliminate piles of lumber, bricks or other debris that could serve as a nesting site for ants, and other pests.
- Keep landscape mulch less than 2 inches thick and at least 12 inches away from foundations.
- Ensure the sprinkler system does not directly hit the foundation.
- Seal as many cracks in the building’s exterior as possible.
- Keep tree and shrub branches trimmed; prevent shrub from touching the building if possible.
This quick guide is a great tool for basic knowledge, and tips on how to help prevent ant outbreaks, but pests are tricky and there is always the possibility of a small issue becoming a major problem. If you see some ants occupying a space of your property, don’t let it get worse, contact Signature Pest Control.
Signature Pest and Termite Control is the only professional team you should trust to provide the proper service needed to safely, and effectively eliminate pests from your house and/or your commercial property. You can schedule an inspection, or get more information by contacting Signature at (909) 375-8923, or by visiting them online.