Ant Removal Demystified: Essential Techniques For A Pest-Free Home In Raleigh

Different types of ants build nests in different places. Some make their homes along the edges of concrete. Others like dry and hot sections of the lawn. Many will come indoors and construct their nests inside wall voids. Regardless of where ants are building nests on your property, one thing will always be true: they will always be looking for food.

Most home invasions start with a single scout ant. Colonies send out scouts to search for food around their nests. What do ants eat? Some feed primarily on proteins found in insects and left-out meat. Others feed on the sugars in plants, beverages, and human food. Scouts will wander around properties looking for these food sources. They might find tasty treats inside trash cans, around berry bushes, near outdoor picnic areas, and on children's playsets. They might also find a gap, crack, or opening and use it to enter your house, which is how ant infestations start.

There is something important that you should know about ants. These pests will release a pheromone path after finding something tasty to eat. They use pheromones to create an invisible trail for other ants from their colony to follow to get back to the food source they found. A single ant can quickly turn into hundreds of ants trailing around inside your home.

If you see a trail, the only way to get rid of it is with some form of cleaning solution. If you regularly find these pests inside your house, do not ignore the problem. If you don't take action to prevent colonies from sending scouts into your home, they will keep sending them and may eventually find a reason to create a satellite nest indoors.

The Many Problems An Ant Infestation Can Create In Your Home

We are not going to lie to you; ants are not the most problematic pests here in Raleigh. They are, however, the most common. It does not take much for these insects to stress someone out. You have probably experienced a fair amount of stress with these pests over the years. What you might not know is that other problems can sometimes accompany this stress.

A few common ants in our area either spread illnesses or damage property. Protein ants like to crawl through trash cans to look for food. If they crawl over rotting meat, decaying vegetation, or some other form of rot, they can pick up bacteria. They then transport this bacteria over surfaces and items indoors. They can also contaminate your food. Two common diseases you might contract from these insects include salmonellosis and staphylococcus.

One common ant in our area causes more problems than the rest. We are talking about the carpenter ant. These pests like to chew holes and tunnel into wooden objects and structures. Carpenter ants are social creatures that can invade your home in large numbers. They look for boards and beams softened by moisture and decay. After establishing a nest indoors, these ants will start to look around for things to eat. If you notice large red, black, or red and black ants inside your home, they are probably carpenter ants.

Learn what types of ants you are dealing with by scheduling your home for a detailed inspection. A professional examination is the best way to assess your risk. Go-Forth Home Services uses professional inspection methods to locate ant activity and evaluate ant infestations.

Simple Tips To Prevent Ants In The House

Before we take the time to talk about professional ant pest control, we would like to offer some simple do-it-yourself ant prevention options to help keep these pests from getting into your home. Here are some effective and simple tricks and tips to start with:

• Remove or reduce sources of nectar from around your yard. These little critters love to nibble on flowering weeds and other budding plants. We are not recommending that you get rid of your flowers, but it is wise to keep up with weed control on your property.
• Address insect populations on your property. Many common ants will eat other bugs. They do not care if they are alive or dead. Turn off exterior lights around your home to deter insects.
• Get rid of honeydew that collects on the plants in your landscaping. Ants love this sweet food source. They might love it as much as we love soda and ice cream. Honeydew comes from certain plant pests. Keeping your landscaping dry is a great way to avert a wide range of plant pests.
• Weatherproof your home's exterior. You can do this in a number of ways. Start by using weatherstripping and door sweeps to seal exterior doors. Next, fill in holes, gaps, and cracks in your foundation. Finally, make sure there are no spaces around vents, pipes, and electrical wires around your home.
• Keep your home clean. Ants eat a lot of things. They are just as happy to nibble on some crumbs under your couch as they are to steal an entire cake from your countertop. The cleaner you keep your home, the less food these pests will be able to find. If possible, address food messes and drink spills as they occur.
• Address moisture problems. Ants need a certain amount of moisture to survive. They get this moisture from leaky pipes, damaged fixtures, clogged gutters, and spills. Make sure to address as many of these problems as possible inside and around your home. In addition to this, consider using a dehumidifier to keep humidity levels low.
• Invest in pest-proof trash cans. Some ants crawl into trash cans to find food. Make sure you have bins with tight-fitting lids and clean their exteriors when they get dirty. In addition to this, do not leave trash bags in locations that are easy for them to access.

Effective ant prevention is difficult. If you do not have a lot of time on your hands and would like assistance keeping these bugs out of your home, consider investing in a professional ant control plan. At Go-Forth Home Services, we customize our approach to meet your needs. We would be more than happy to inspect your home and property, identify what species you are dealing with, and offer some detailed options to get rid of those ants for good.