Ants can be one of the most unpopular house guests. One day, you see a few of them crawling around; the next day, a whole hoard of ants have found their way into your home. An ant infestation can happen quickly. Thankfully, there are ways to notice an ant infestation and also to get rid of these unwanted pests.
The Problem With Ants
Ants may seem small and harmless, but the truth of the matter is these small pests can cause big problems. For one, ants can transmit bacteria or fungi that can get on your food or counters and spread around. Additionally, ants also can cause property damage, especially carpenter or acrobat ants, who love wood and will damage cabinets or other wood inside the home to build their nests. Homes with moisture issues are prime targets for these types of ants. Finally, ants will bite or sting when they feel threatened, which can be painful. It can also be especially harmful to those who have allergies or allergic reactions.
Ant Infestation Signs
To understand ant infestations, you must first understand how an ant colony works. In a colony, there are several different types of ants: the queen, the worker, and the scout. There is only one queen and a few scouts, and the rest of the ants are worker ants. Scout ants will search for food sources. Once they find a food source, they will then send signals and leave scents so the worker ants can find their way to the food source as well to bring it back to the colony.
So, if you see just a few ants one day, this could actually be the scouts on the lookout for food. Then, as they send signals back to the worker ants, you will begin to notice more and more ants arrive throughout the next several days. Ants can be looking for crumbs left out or even wood, especially carpenter ants, as they use wood to build their nests. But no matter what the reason, once ants have found their way to your home, you will want to do everything you can to remove them for good.
How To Keep Ants Away
There are several steps you can take to keep ants away. First, clean up after yourself. Ants are on the lookout for food. If there’s any food left out on the countertop, on the floor, or anywhere in the kitchen, ants will find it. So be sure to seal up food, sweep floors, and wipe countertops. Next, ants can find their way into the tiniest spot in your home after a scout ant has left them a trail. Be sure to seal up any trouble spots around windows or doors or cracks anywhere in the home where ants could find their way in. Finally, sometimes it requires more than you can do.
Contact professional pest experts to get rid of pesky ants once and for all. At Pest Force, we remove pests from the home and will ensure the job is done well every time. Call us today for more information or to set up an appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Do Ants Eat?
Ants are omnivorous. They eat anything, such as other dead insects, plants, fruits, and more. When they come into the home, they can be attracted to almost anything, such as sweets, animal meat, fats, and almost anything humans eat.
What Time of Year Are Ants Most Active?
Ants are the most active during the warmer spring and summer months. As the cold sets in, ants begin to seek shelter and will do so in trees, deep in the ground, or under rocks. During this time, you may not see many of them in or around your home. But as the temperature warms up, be on the lookout for these creatures.
How Can Ants Carry 50xs Their Weight?
Ants can carry anywhere from 10 to 15 times their weight, depending on the type of ant. This is an amazing number because ants are so tiny. Ants have a greater and thicker cross-sectional area, much larger than other animals compared to their size. Because ants are mostly muscle, this allows them to be able to carry heavier weight. They also have sticky pads across their feet that allow them to move smoothly across surfaces and even carry heavy weight upside down.
