Have you ever come downstairs in the morning to start your breakfast and found a line of ants running across your counter? This is a terrible way to start off the day and is going to get you off your intended schedule. The problem is that the line of ants is only part of the problem. Behind the line that you can see there are thousands more that can slowly get in your house and will despite you killing off one or two as you see them. Ants work in a colony and that means that there are lots of them so it is difficult to treat them. The better way to treat ants is actually to do all you can to prevent them in the first place. There are several kinds of ants but the thing they all have in common and that is they will enter a home in search of food to take back to the queen. Stewart Termite & Pest Control lists common ant species and what you can do to prevent them from getting into your home.
How are Carpenter Ants?
This is a very common ant and they are normally black in color and have a large set of mandibles on their mouth. Carpenter ants get the name from the area that they prefer to live and tunnel. They like to be in hollowed out wood and soft wood. They do not eat the wood but tunnel through with their large mandibles to get to where they want to live. They prefer to feed on meats and sugary sweet foods. When they are left out you could be calling a colony of carpenter ants to come in. These are an extremely destructive ant species.
Fire Ants Bite!
The fire ant gets its name partially due to the color which is a reddish color. They are one of the species of ants that usually nest and live in the ground and the dirt. They are fairly aggressive ant and will go after anything that comes in their path. They won’t bite once and run. They will bite repeatedly. Another reason the name is fitting is due the stinging that occurs when they bite a person or pet. They also prefer to eat greasy food and sweats as well. The fire ant will come inside a home in search of food to take back to their nest.
Are Pavement Ants Harmful?
This is another kind of ant and they tend to live in the cracks and gaps on the concrete walkways around your home. They build their nest under the pavement and they are usually a light brown in color. They feed on many different types of food such as meat, old insects, and food from a garden. They are also known to make their way into homes in search of food as well. This is how they can present a health concern. These ants can crawl around in your trash and then climb on food prep surfaces, dishes, silverware, and get into stored foods. When this happens, they can spread harmful bacteria like salmonella.
How To Prevent Ants
If you want to prevent ants from getting into your home you want to be sure that you seal up any foods that they will be in search of. You also want to take time to wipe off any containers that have sticky foods such as syrup and honey. The last way to prevent ants is to hire a pest control company that can treat your home for ants and other pests on a regular basis.
Ant Control
Stewart Termite & Pest Control offers expert ant and pest control services. Call us to schedule an appointment today.