Are Little Black Ants In Richmond, VA Dangerous?

Access

When addressing little black ants, it is important to consider how they get in and how they move around inside your home. Sealing entry points prevent little black ants from accessing dirty locations near your Richmond home, such as exterior trash receptacles, and bringing harmful organisms in from outside.

Exterior Entry Points

• Small spaces and tiny gaps in the weatherstripping seal around exterior doors.
• Gaps around exterior window and door frames.
• Damaged screens.
• Holes created by pests that damage wood.
• Damaged door sweeps.

Interior Access Points.

• These ants are drawn to moisture. You can expect them to get into your kitchen through moisture points, such as the pipe penetration underneath your kitchen sink. Check to make sure there are no gaps around your pipes.
• Kitchen windows can be an issue. Inspect around your kitchen windows and seal any gaps you find.
• Inspect the insides of your exterior doors, especially sliding glass doors. Address any gaps or cracks you find.

Food Sources

The reason these ants get into your Richmond home is a simple one. When worker ants find a food source, they tell the other workers. If you remove food sources inside your home, you might be able to make these ants go back outside and stop coming inside. This is another reason to sanitize everything. But keeping things clean isn't the only thing you need to consider.

• Store fruits in your fridge. If you display fruit on your island, counter, or kitchen table, you may invite ants into your home.
• Put vegetables, such as potatoes, inside sealed bins.
• Feed your dog or cat only during mealtimes. These ants can eat sweets and meats.
• Put dirty dishes in a sink full of soapy water. A dry stack of dishes next to a sink can be very enticing to little black ants.
• Store your pantry foods in sealed glass or plastic containers.

Yard Work

The more ants you have near your Richmond home, the more ants you're going to have getting inside. Blowing leaves out of your landscaping, trimming your bushes and vegetation, and removing objects these ants can hide under will go a long way toward arresting your ant problems.

Interior Nests

Little black ants can make a nest inside your home. If they do, you'll have trouble getting control of them with good sanitation, proper food management, or exterior yard management.