postheadericon How To Deal With Ants In Your Home






by Alice Nance


No matter where you live in the United States, you have probably encountered ants in your home. There are almost 12,000 ant species roaming nearly every landmass on earth which means that there are a few places ants have not been.

Ants are not picky eaters, just like many insects. Most rely heavily on both plants and animals for food; some are especially attracted to sugary and greasy foods.

To forage for the colony, ants can travel great distances and make many foods in your home ripe for the taking. Normally, they would nest outdoors but most of the time, ants enter homes looking for food and exploit tiny cracks around doors, pipes, and windows.

Ants are widely studied for their intriguing communication methods and they perform complex social behaviors. For example, when they find food, ants would release chemicals called pheromones and these would help other hands find the feast.

Another reason why ants use pheromones is for self-defense. Fire ants, the reddish-brown species named for their fiery sting, emit alarm pheromones that signal nest mates to attack and defend their colony by delivering repeated stings to intruding insects, ground-nesting birds and other wildlife.

On humans, fire ant stings, which causes blisters or pustules, would typically itch and burn and are prone to infection. There are severe reactions such as swelling, breathing difficulty, aggravated skin disorders, and sometimes even death.

Fire ants are not the only ants that can disrupt health and home. Pharaoh ants, for example, can contaminate food and spread disease. Carpenter ants tunnel and nest in wood, which may cause structural damage in your home.

To keep ants outdoors, experts say that the following tips can be helpful.

Spilled food and drinks should be quickly cleaned up.

Rinse drink cans before recycling.

Make sure food is stored in tightly sealed containers.

Don't forget to pick up your pet's food at night. You shouldn't feed your pet outdoors.

When dealing with infestations, the first step is to identify ant species and for this difficult yet critical process, homeowners should trust and experienced pest control professional. To fit your specific ant problem, a licensed company will customize treatment strategies.




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