Ant Facts, Identification & Prevention

Are you dealing with an invasion of ants in your home? Unfortunately, they are social creatures, and if you see one, you will probably encounter the rest of its colony soon. Nobody wants tiny critters canvassing their home, so that is why it is essential to understand these rapidly multiplying pests and how to get rid of them.

Argentine Ants

Argentine ants can cause colossal issues in your home and backyard. One colony can grow from several ants to thousands of workers and even dozens of queen bees. Although their habitat will remain inside, you will notice them entering your house forging for food without proper treatment. To remove these creatures from your home and yard, contact All Seasons Pest Control. We will help you eliminate standing water and exterminate the pests completely.

Carpenter Ants

One of the most common pests we notice in Washington is Carpenter Ants. These ants can enter your home through wet or damaged wood, causing a big issue and risk for your family. To eliminate and prevent these pests from entering your house, make sure there are no cracks or opening around the base of your home. Additionally, remove any wet woods or standing areas of water around your backyard. Have you seen carpenter ants around your house? Contact the pest control specialists at All Seasons Pest Control for help.

Odorous House Ants

Do you smell something rotten after you kill or crush an ant in your home? Odorous house ants, or Tapinoma sessile, will spread a foul coconut-like scent after they’re crushed, causing an inconvenience and risk to you and your family. Although they don’t pose a health risk, they can contaminate the food you eat. Our knowledgeable exterminators will make sure these ants are removed from your home and potential entry points are sealed.

Pavement Ants

Tetramorium caespitum, or pavement ants, can cause infrastructure issues if not eliminated. As described by their name, pavement ants will burrow and make their nests in pavement cracks and foundational cracks. Our pest control specialists will ensure pavement ants are exterminated from your home and eliminated from your yard.

Red Imported Fire Ants

Fire ants, commonly spotted in garages, can pose a huge threat. These types of ants will build large nests and sting any humans that try to interfere with their space. Our pe4st control team will carefully seal the mound nests and eliminate every point of external and internal entry points.

Cause

Ants are mainly attracted to food. They love crumbs, spilled pet food, and any other sustenance they can find. Many ants who live outdoors will voyage into your home to collect provisions. To get the food they desire, ants will crawl through tiny cracks and crevices in your home’s foundation, through windows, and over door jambs leaving behind a trail of pheromones so others in their colony can follow this path to nourishment. Once inside, these tiny insects will relentlessly scavenge any food they can find.

Ant Prevention

Colonies can be quite extensive ranging from about 300,000 to 500,000 insects. Their colonies also have long life spans — seeing that an ant colony queen can live up to 15 years. Considering these factors, it is in your best interest to avoid an ant infestation altogether. Some steps you can take to prevent ants from entering your home include:

  1. Clean the kitchen: Ants are attracted to food, so waiting to clean up your kitchen and other miscellaneous crumbs is not an option. If you want to keep ants away, it is crucial to keep your house clean and tidy.
  2. Seal openings: These little bugs can get in the tiniest of cracks so you will need to be very detailed when sealing off cracks and other types of openings if you want to keep them away.
  3. Place mesh over vents: If you have outdoor vents for your laundry, attic or any other area of the home, small insects can easily use these as entrances. Try covering your outside vents with mesh so these vents can still do their job without letting in ants.

Treatment

Ants are tricky to get rid of completely. If you think you might have an infestation, we recommend hiring an expert. Pest control professionals have the knowledge and tools to find these minuscule bugs when you cannot. They can also help you create the right action plan to get rid of these little critters for good. All Seasons Pest Control offers excellent pest control service in Tacoma and Olympia to ensure these annoying house guests are gone for good. If you would like to make an appointment with All Seasons Pest Control, give us a call today.

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