If a person was like an ant, how long would it take for them to end up in prison? Just think about it, if they weren’t arrested for stealing food off of people’s picnic blankets, they would certainly be put away for home invasion. When you stop to consider it, ants are really just tiny criminals. They waltz their way into our homes, steal food right off our countertops, and sometimes even threaten us with harm in the form of dangerous diseases. The only problem is, we don’t have tiny prisons to put them all away. What we do have, however, is this practical guide you can use to control ants inside your Longview home.
Common Ants In Longview
Many different species of ants live here in Longview Texas. A few of the most common home-invading ants are carpenter ants, acrobat ants, Pharaoh ants, crazy ants, odorous house ants, acrobat ants, and rover ants. Here is a fact you should know about each.
- Carpenter Ants: Carpenter ants build their nests out of softened wood. If your home has been damaged by water damage or rot, it could be at risk of a carpenter ant infestation.
- Pharaoh Ants: Pharaoh ants are one of the few species of ants that can carry and spread diseases. A few diseases Pharaoh ants are known to transmit include salmonellosis, botulism, and staphylococcus.
- Crazy Ants: Crazy ants are relatively harmless but are often mistaken for Pharaoh ants. Crazy ants can also feed on creatures that are much larger than themselves such as birds and reptiles.
- Odorous House Ants: Odorous house ants live up to their name. When interacted with or squished, odorous house ants will give off a pungent and unpleasant smell. This smell is meant to fend off predators but it mostly just annoys homeowners.
- Rover Ants: Rover ants are most commonly found outside homes under stones or in soil but can occasionally invade if outside weather or temperatures are unfavorable.
- Acrobat Ants: Acrobat ants, also known as little black ants, are a very common species of home-invading ant here in Texas. It is not uncommon for acrobat ants to nest within the walls of a home.
What Factors Attract Ants
Most ants live off a diet of sweets and meats. That being said, the more available food sources ants have access to inside your home the more likely they will be to invade. Along with available food sources, moisture is another major factor that draws in ants. If your home has leaks or other moisture problems, ants like carpenter ants and acrobat ants will quickly be attracted. Finally, unfavorable weather conditions can push ants to seek shelter inside homes. Cold weather is often a big factor that pushes ants into homes. Fortunately, Texas rarely gets cold enough to bother ants.
How To Prevent Ants
- To keep ants out of your home, there are two things you can do, eliminate food sources, and block off points of entry. Here are some practical ways you can do just that.
- Clean regularly making sure not to neglect beneath furniture and large appliances.
- Store leftover food in airtight containers after each meal.
- Pick up and clean out your pet’s food and water bowls before going to bed at night.
- Use a caulking gun to seal cracks in your home’s foundation, gaps around window and door frames, and spacing around wiring and pipes leading into your home.
- Check your home’s door sweeps and weather stripping and make sure they are in good order.
- Make sure all of your window and door screens are rip and tear-free.
- Fix leaky pipes around your home, repair broken gutters, and address other moisture issues that might be negatively affecting the quality of your home’s wood.
Most importantly, if your home does not already have professional pest control, today should be the day you consider making the investment. Keeping ants out can be difficult on your own, but with Pest-Pro Services, Inc. on your side can be as simple as a single phone call.
Reach out to us today to find out how we can help keep pests like ants out of your Longview home.