Ant Control

Clean up those crumbs! Ants are coming! While certain ant infestations may not do a lot of damage to your home or yard, others will. Learn about the types of ants commonly found in and around your home and which types of ant control you should try.

Types of Ant

Knowing which type of ant is in your home could mean the difference between a cleanliness problem or structural damage. The most common ant you see parading through your house or along the pavement is harmless. These pavement or house ants are the small, dark variety that feeds mostly on sugars and other kitchen crumbs. You may only see one or two crawl across the kitchen counter or floor, but where there’s one, there’s usually an entire colony working behind the scenes (or walls).

If the ants are larger, reddish in color, and have wings, these are carpenter ants and they’re a more serious problem. They feed on decaying wood and tunnel through wood framing which could mean structural damage if not addressed. If you notice wood dust and debris around the foundation of your home you’ll want to call in a professional to evaluate before too much damage is done.

Indoor Ant Control

Once you determine which ant you’re dealing with, you’ll be better equipped to control them. For common ants building a colony near your kitchen, you need to do more than wipe up the ones you see. These are the worker ants gathering food to take back to their nest, usually hidden behind the wall.

Watch the path the ants travel, and they may show you what cracks and crevices they use to travel back and forth to their queen–the one you want to target. To get to her, you need to bait the travelers with poisoned food. Once they take these tainted treasures from bait traps to the nest, you should start to see the numbers of ants dwindle.

Keeping floors, counters, and cabinets clean is one of the best ways to help keep ants out. Make sure any food is sealed and stored properly. Pay more attention to areas where pets and kids have eaten and may have left crumbs.

Outdoor Ant Control

Ant colonies are more visible outdoors. You’ll see the tiny hills along the pavement and bare spots in your yard. These garden dwellers may be doing your lawn a service by aerating the soil and controlling other pests, like aphids. However, if the problem persists, it may end up spreading to your indoor area.

Inspect the areas in and around your home that may be used as an access point to pests. Seal around windows, doors, and any cable, pipe, or wire openings. Check the foundation for cracks, since this is easy access for many pests, including ants, that may go unnoticed.

Professional Ant Control

While ant bait traps and outdoor spray may be successful in dealing with minor ant problems, you’ll want to call a professional if any infestation persists or you suspect you’re dealing with carpenter ants. Contact Cardinal Pest for a consultation and quote for controlling ants in and around your home. Don’t let a small pest cause a large problem.