Something that’s frustrating and impressive about ants at the same time is how well organized they are. They function in large groups called colonies, and so if you see even just one ant inside your house, it’s a sure sign that there are many more ants nearby, or that there will be soon enough.
If ants find a consistent source of food in your home, they’re going to stick around, but nobody wants that. So how can you rid your house of ants, not just right now but in the future as well?
Today we’ll be talking about long-term ant control maintenance, sharing facts, dangers, and prevention strategies. And at the end, we will discuss our Cedar Park pest control services for how to deal with ants and keep them away for good.
Ant Behavior: Social Hierarchy And Communication
Ants are terrible pests inside the home, but we have to admit that the way ants behave and how they organize themselves is pretty fascinating. Ant hierarchies are simple. At the very top is the queen. Queens are larger than the other members of the colony, and a colony can also have more than one queen. The queen’s main job is to reproduce and fertilize eggs. Queens are extremely important to the growth of a colony.
Worker ants are female ants, and they perform various tasks like taking care of the colony’s young, defending the colony, building, and gathering food. If you’re wondering to yourself, “Why do I have ants in my house?” it’s because the worker ants found food. Lastly, the drones are male ants that mate with the queen. They die after mating.
But how do ants communicate? While ants don’t have language, they do communicate with each other very effectively, and they do this through the use of pheromones. The easiest type of pheromone communication to illustrate is a single-file line of marching ants. When foraging ants have found something worth taking back to the nest, they leave pheromones along their trail as they walk. This way, without explaining any details, they can tell each other where to go.
Ant Dangers: Understanding The Risks Of An Infestation
While someone might tell you that all ants are completely harmless, this just isn’t true. Ants can cause serious problems and specific species of ants can cause health issues. Specific types of ants (fire ants are a common example) can bite or sting. Fire ants in particular inject venom when they sting. The result is pain and the potential for complications like throat swelling and skin irritation.
But ants can also cause problems for your home. Carpenter ants are known for boring through wood structures. On a large scale, this can be a very serious issue, and it’s something you may not even notice until it’s already too late.
Ants can also attract other pests. Ironically, while searching for sources of food in your home, ants are also making themselves food sources for other, larger pests.
Ant Prevention Is Key: Effective Tips And Tricks
Even if you don’t have an ant infestation currently, it’s good to know how to take preventive measures.
Below, you’ll find a list of ant prevention tips that will make your space less appealing to ants overall:
- Place all food in sealed containers. Even if it’s kept inside a cabinet, it needs to be sealed up.
- Make sure that there aren’t any small openings in exterior walls or basements that could provide ants with a way in.
- Don’t leave water out for any prolonged stretch of time, not even in your pet’s water bowl.
- Regularly check the rooms in your home for foraging ants. If you stop them early, they may not create a colony in or near your home.
- Tidy the areas surrounding your home as well.
These are steps you should consider and enact on a regular basis, not just when you notice a problem. That’s especially key to long-term ant control at your Cedar Park home.
Professional Ant Control: A Great Way To Keep Ants Out For Good
Last but definitely not least, we come to the professional ant control option. The team at Green Pest Guys offers the professional ant pest control you need to manage and eliminate an infestation. We also facilitate long-term ant control to keep them out for good. Contact us right away to get help with ants, and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Cedar Park.