Most of us are familiar with this scenario: finding ants marching along the edge of the countertop. Don’t panic when you see an army of ants because it is a common problem. And although they are pesky pests, getting rid of them is not a challenge, especially if you apply effective ant control. You must contact The Original Bugman Pest Elimination, Inc. to get the best pest control in Leesville. Apart from noticing the ants on your kitchen counter, it is important to learn ways of identifying an ant infestation, the problems they bring, and how to prevent future infestations. All these and more are in this post. Let’s start from the top.
How To Identify An Ant Infestation In Your Home
Some tell-tale signs are easy to miss, but if you see the signs below, you will know when to involve the services of a reputable ant control expert.
- An ant trail: If you notice a path going up your walls into your house, inspect the track further. Ants leave pheromone trails that allow other ants to follow to collect food and return it to their nest.
- Sawdust trail: Carpenter ants leave small piles of sawdust near window ledges, wooden beams, wood flooring, and skirting boards.
- Hollow sound on wooden beams: If you knock on wooden floorboards or beams, listen for hollow sounds. Carpenter ants can burrow into the wood, destroying it from the inside.
- Crumbling wooden structures: A sign of a severe ant infestation is when you see wood that can slice easily using a knife or when wood crumbles by just touching it. Check the trees in your garden; ants can also like to nest inside the trunk or branches of dead trees.
- Piles of soil or dirt: An ant nest is easy to miss because it looks like a pile of dirt. Check for ants if you see a garden section with a soil pile on top or humps of soil on your flat flowerbed. But don’t disturb the nest; contact an exterminator for ant control solutions to effectively remove the bulging nest.
Identifying the signs could lead to an alarming discovery of an infestation already damaging your property. In such a case, don't waste time. Look for ant pest control solutions from experts.
The Many Problems Ants Can Create In Your Home
Anywhere you see an army of ants, know that damage is already underway. To help you understand the importance of ant control in your house, some common problems ants can bring to your home include spreading diseases, lawn damage, and inflicting structural damage to the home and other wooden structures.
For example, pharaoh ants crawl over cutlery and kitchen countertops, spreading diseases like staphylococcus, salmonella, and clostridium. Ants can also wreak havoc on your lawn because they can chew on your plants and go as far as build ant hills in your driveway or walkways. If that is not all, carpenter ants can cost you thousands of dollars in property damage repairs, and in some cases, some damages will be irreparable.
Why You Should Call the Pros About Ants In Your House
If you browse online for DIY ant control methods, you will discover many options that claim to be the holy grail of effective ant control. However, if you try most of the techniques, you will not only realize that they are time-wasting but that they might even attract more ants to your house. Most over-the-counter ant control products cannot exterminate ants, they might kill a few of them, but more ants will come. Moreover, most DIY ant control solutions can harm your pets and family. Dealing with an ant infestation can be annoying if you do it on your own. But to avoid the hassle, contact the professionals at The Original Bugman Pest Elimination, Inc. But are there ways to prevent an infestation in the first place? Let’s look at some ant prevention tips.
Six Easy And Effective Tips To Prevent Future Ant Infestations
There are quite a good number of steps for preventing an ant infestation in the first place. Let’s look at six tips you can apply today.
- Wash Dishes: A good place to start is inculcating the habit of washing dishes every day before you sleep. Dirty dishes attract all kinds of ants.
- Clean kitchen counters daily: Dirt on the kitchen counter is a magnet for ants. If you want to clean crumbs off the counter, a good way of approaching it is to squat to have the counter at eye level, spot any crumbs, and clean them.
- Sweep the floor: Sweeping and mopping the floors regularly is a good way of clearing out crumbs that attract ants.
- Clean the pantry: Ants can hide in your pantry as they hunt for food because tiny food particles that escape the container can be a major feast for ants.
- Purchase airtight containers to store cereals, rice, and other grains to keep ants, pests, and rodents away.
- Store bulk food in large airtight containers: Large packs of food, like pet food, should be in large airtight containers. Although some food bags have seals, they are not an ideal defense against ants.
Even with proper care of your house, you may still find ants roaming around the house. Just remember that when it comes to infestations, the best course of action is to contact the pros at The Original Bugman Pest Elimination, Inc. The sooner the experts deal with the pests, the sooner you have peace of mind in your ant-free house.
Ants are indoor and outdoor pests that leave ant trails and sawdust trails as they hunt for food. Identifying these signs and others will help you to contact a professional exterminator to identify infestations. If left unattended, ants can spread diseases as they crawl over kitchenware and countertops that you use to prepare food. In extreme cases, they can cause damages that can cost lots of money in repairs. To avoid these damages, The Original Bugman Pest Elimination, Inc. is ready to inspect your house whenever you see a sign of an ant infestation and use proven pest control techniques to eliminate them from your home. Contact our office today, and let’s help you eliminate these pests.
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