They say the quickest way for a picnic to be ruined is to have ants invade. But why limit this to picnics? You don’t want ants invading your home either. They can spread disease, damage your house, and contaminate your food. Really, there are many reasons you don’t want ants coming into your Tulsa home.
It is important to know what you can do to prevent ant infestations. This includes understanding what might attract them to your home in the first place as well as knowing how they are gaining access to your home. If you can accomplish these two things, you can take the necessary precautions to limit your exposure to ant infestations. It’s that easy.
Identifying Common Area Ants
While there are thousands of species of ants worldwide, some common ants that you might come across here in Tulsa are pavement ants, odorous house ants, pharaoh ants, carpenter ants, and field ants.
- Pavement ants are light brown or black ants that grow to be about 1/4 of an inch long. While usually non-threatening, they will sting if provoked. Often found in mulch, floors, and insulation.
- Odorous house ants are brown or black ants that grow up to 3/16th of an inch long. As their name suggests, these ants emit a foul-smelling odor if they are crushed. While they do bite, the bites are generally painless. They are known to spread their nests if they feel threatened.
- Pharaoh ants are yellowish-golden ants that grow to be about 1/8th of an inch long. They are attracted to sugary foods, so they are often found in pantries. These ants are known for spreading a variety of diseases.
- Carpenter ants are yellow, black, or red ants that grow to be about an inch long. They have large mandibles which they use for building their nests in wood, however, they will also use them to cause painful bites if they are handled. These ants, if left unchecked, can cause expensive damage to the structural wood inside a home.
What Threats Do Ants Pose?
Ants can cause all sorts of problems if they invade a home. Depending on which species you are dealing with, ants can spread diseases such as dysentery and salmonella; contaminate food; destroy walls, floors, and furniture; damage electrical appliances; and sting and bite humans.
It doesn’t matter which species of ants you are dealing with, you do not want them invading your home.
Ant Prevention Techniques
For effective ant prevention, your approach should be two-fold. One, remove factors that attract ants. Two, take away possible points of access. In order to prevent ants from entering your home, you should:
- Properly store all food in tightly-sealed containers or in the refrigerator.
- Wipe up any spills from countertops or floors immediately.
- Do not stack dirty dishes in the sink for long periods of time.
- Fix leaky pipes and fixtures.
- Store trash in tightly-sealed trash bins.
- Take out the trash regularly.
- Replace any water-damaged wood in your home.
- Install door sweeps under all exterior doors.
- Seal any cracks in the foundation of your home.
- Install screens in windows and exterior doors.
- Fix any rips or tears in existing screens.
How To Deal With Ant Infestations
If you do find yourself dealing with an ant infestation, or if you have questions about ant prevention, give the trained pest professionals here at Bug Bros a call today. We have the experience and the expertise required to eliminate any ant infestations that you may be dealing with. In addition to this, we will work with you to take the proper steps to prevent future infestations. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Give us a call now.
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