Trying to avoid stepping in an ant mound or seeing ants show up on a picnic blanket is just a thing you have to deal with when you are outside. But if a trail of ants shows up in your Chula Vista kitchen, knowing how to address an indoor ant problem can be difficult and frustrating. Killing the ants you see will not prevent the millions of ants who continue to stream back into your home. Discovering what is drawing the ants into your home and where their nest is located are two big factors that can help you eliminate your ant problem for good. Preventing ants from coming inside in the first place is the best course of action. But if ants have already entered your home, calling in a pest professional can exterminate these persistent pests immediately.
Identify ants in and around your home
Seeing an ant or two in your home does not mean you have an ant infestation. Ramping up your prevention methods will help to make sure no trail of ants follows the few that have come inside in search of food. But you also want to make sure any ant you see is not a carpenter ant or a termite. These two insect species can cause extensive damage to your home so the presence of one insect should be taken very seriously.
If you see ants in your home and want to make sure they are not harmful to the structure of your house, here are some identification tips:
- Carpenter ants are large, black or brown ants. In some cases, the ants have red heads and thoraxes but black abdomens
- Carpenter ants and termites leave behind small piles of wood shavings or excrement resembling sawdust
- Carpenter ants and termites leave discarded wings on outdoor window sills before entering your home
- Termites have straight antennae, not elbowed or bent antennae like ants
- Ants have two sets of wings with the top set longer than the lower set, while termites have two sets of the same length
- Both can cause severe damage to a home if left undiscovered
Prevent ants from coming in
Once an ant gets a whiff of something sugary in your kitchen, it won’t be long before you have a crowd of ants huddled around a tiny spec of food left on the floor or countertop. Ants send out a pheromone trail to let other ants know that they have found something delicious. Disrupting the trail of ants may seem like the best idea, but it often causes the ants to spread out in search of new locations to find food. Keeping a tidy home is the best way to keep ants from coming inside in the first place.
- Wipe down the table and all surfaces where food is either served or consumed with either an all-purpose cleaner or with white vinegar
- Sweep after every meal to ensure crumbs have not fallen to the ground
- Caulk around windows and doors to eliminate entry points that ants may be using to enter the home
- Fix any leaks or drips promptly so ants are not attracted to the water, especially in times of drought
If you realize that you have an ant infestation or have identified carpenter ants or termites in your home, do not hesitate to give Nixtermite in Chula Vista a call today to eliminate the insect infestation on your property quickly and thoroughly.
