CARPENTER ANT REMOVAL
Types of Ants
When ants enter into
your house, it unfortunately may not simply be the little black ones that you
are used to seeing crawling around on the sidewalk. While these may make an
appearance, it could also be several other types of ants that you end up
dealing with; many of which are a little more destructive and which warrant
significant ant control practices for your East York home. Here are the types
of ants most likely to appear on your property:
A less popular ant compared to the next two, it is
important to mention this type, as they can actually inflict a sting if you
disturb their nest and can also multiply extremely quickly. Identified by their
yellow to orange colour and three antennae, these ants damage your home by
chewing through rubber, insulation, and fabric, destroying the interior of
walls, furniture, and other areas of your house.
Extremely destructive, Carpenter Ants typically
show up after having started their gnawing journey somewhere around the outside
of your house, like in rotten wood or a damp firewood pile. From there they set
up small satellite nests and move into your house, boring through any wood they
find, including walls, foundation, roof, and window frames. Identified by the trail
of sawdust and wood debris they leave in their wake, these ants chew through wood,and leave a big mess! It is difficult to remove these ants by yourself and typically
you need to rely on the help of a professional ant removal service or exterminator
to do the job.
The classic, small black
ant that is regularly seen scurrying around outside; these tiny critters leave
mini dirt piles behind them as they burrow through your garden or walkway.
Inside your house they are attracted to sweet and greasy foods, and feed on
human and pet food. They don’t stray far from their nest, so once you see them,
the nest (with more ants inside) is likely within 30 meters.
What To Know About Ants
It is safe to say that ants
aren’t anybody’s favourite house guest, but when it comes to eliminating them,
or determining if you have an ant problem, it is important to educate yourself on
some basic ant facts. This will help you in knowing what to expect and how they behave when it comes to finding them in your house or in
your yard, and in learning proper ant control procedures in your East York home.
Where
Ants Live
While it may appear as if they live in your
house, ants typically live outdoors in colonies run by the queen ant. These
colonies create nests and reside underground, under cracks in the pavement, and
even in trees. They visit their nest regularly, so even if you are seeing them
in your house, chances are, they are still going back home to their nest.
Having said that, it is possible that they have created another nest inside
your house, as is often the case with carpenter ants, and they may be living
there instead of in their typical outdoor habitat.
What Ants
Eat
When it comes to finding things to eat, ants
aren’t necessarily picky. Outside they will eat insect larvae and small bugs,
as well as leftover human food that they find in areas like parks, picnic
tables, or on the beach. Ants are notorious for loving sweet foods, and while
this is true, they will generally be attracted to any food residue that it left
available. When they successfully find a food source, they will take it back to
the nest for the queen and other ants, as well as consume some themselves in the
process.
How Ants
Get In
Because ants are small, they can (and will!)
get in any way that is available, making the ant extermination strategy crucial
towards your success of ant control. They may, for example, enter through
cracks in your foundation, around door and window seals, coming in on your
shoes from being outside, or getting in through the ceiling.
Preventing Ants
With a better
understanding of the types of ants, where they live and the food they like to
eat, you are armed with all the knowledge you need to work against these
annoying critters and keep them out of your house! Indeed, it is possible to
make an ant unfriendly home and discourage them from entering in the first
place.
Shut
Off Access
The first thing you can do in preventing
ants from taking over your home is preventing them from getting in! Check to
make sure windows and doors are sealed tightly, and there are no cracks
anywhere. In addition, check regularly for access via the roof in things such
as your chimney, siding, or shingles.
Remove
The Food
As much as you are focusing on ant control and removal
from your East York home, you also need to be focusing on food removal. It’s no
secret that ants are typically attracted to your home by food, and you can assume
ants will always find food. Commit to a concentrated effort to keep it
contained only in your kitchen and out of bedrooms and living areas. Clean up
food wrappers and dirty dishes and empty the garbage daily.
Bring
In A Predator
And by predator, what we really mean is an exterminator
for your East York property! Often when you have a serious ant problem, with a
nest in your house or a large volume of ants crawling around, you can’t really afford
to be waiting around for them to go away and hoping that keeping your counters
clean will do the trick. Indeed, it is time to call in the big guys and scare the
ants off once and for all. And contacting Power Pest
Control is the best
way to make this happen.
Committed to
offering you a unique solution to your ant problem that targets your house and
your specific invasion, Power
Pest Control will
show up at your door ready to do a full scale ant investigation. We will look
at what type of ants you have, how they are likely getting in, and the
magnitude of the problem you are dealing with. From there we will offer you our
recommendations for an appropriate solution, and with your approval, get right
to work on getting them to move out. The ants may move slowly, but when it
comes to getting them out of your home, we sure don’t!