Ants are among the most common pests that invade homes. These creatures exist in thousands of different species and have segmented bodies, six legs, and antennae. Ants are generally social creatures that live in colonies and travel outward searching for food. Some of the most common types that plague homeowners in this area include:
Odorous house ants: This type is named because they release an unpleasant odor when crushed. Odorous house ants are brown or black and measure less than 3/16 of an inch long.
Argentine ants: It is believed that Argentine ants originally arrived in the U.S. aboard shipping containers of coffee and sugar from South America. They rarely exceed 1/8 of an inch long and are brown.
Fire ants: Aptly named for their reddish color, fire ants are small and can deliver a painful bite.
Carpenter ants: Like termites, carpenter ants can create damage to wooden structures. They typically appear in shades of red, black, or brown, and range in length from 1/2 to 5/8 of an inch.
Pavement ants: Appearing in shades of tan, brown, or black, pavement ants can reach 1/8 of an inch long, and prefer nesting in crevices along walkways or driveways.
What Will Attract Ants?
Ants are omnivores, and when in nature they will consume insects, nectar, fungi, and more. After traveling into a home, ants often are most attracted to proteins, carbohydrates, and sugary foods. They are more likely to infiltrate areas with standing water or other places with significant moisture.
Challenges In Preventing Them
Because of their small size, it is difficult to prevent ants from entering a home. If a source of food is discovered, other ants will soon follow in droves.
Tips For Preventing Intrusions
Adhere to a regular cleaning schedule, particularly in kitchen areas, such as sweeping floors, wiping countertops clean, quickly responding to spills, and never leaving dirty dishes out overnight.
Leftovers and other food should be promptly placed in the refrigerator, or sealed in a container.
Ensure that trash cans containing food scraps have a tight-fitting lid.
Limit accumulations of moisture or areas of standing water by cleaning your gutters, repairing leaky spigots or hoses, watering plants, or using sprinklers in the morning.
Closely inspect the exterior of the home for possible points of entry, including cracks in the foundation, holes in screens, or gaps around the seals of windows or doors.
Why Is It Best To Contact A Professional Pest Exterminator?
Some property owners will mistakenly underestimate the resiliency of ants once they move indoors. Many will visit local home improvement stores to purchase mass-marketed at-home treatment options that they think will solve the problem. The majority of these do-it-yourself products produce very limited and short-term results that are insufficient.
Some of these store-bought solutions may also contain harsh chemical agents. The best way of responding to these types of problems is by consulting with a professional pest control company that has the knowledge and equipment to get the job done.
Licensed Pest Control Company In Lexington
For more than a decade now, the team of seasoned technicians with Lamp’s Pest Solutions has been assisting residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the Lexington region with pest-related concerns. As a family-owned and operated provider of pest extermination services, we work to maintain an excellent reputation and offer a 100% NO-NONSENSE Warranty that ensures total customer satisfaction. Our experts will safely eliminate intrusions from ants, fleas and ticks, bed bugs, and many other unwanted pests. We encourage you to contact our office today for an onsite inspection and estimate. Remember to ask about our comprehensive monthly, bi-monthly, and quarterly home protection plans.
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