When the weather is warm outside there are lots of changes that will happen. One of them is that you will start to see more and more pests around your house and invading inside. Many pests will thrive in the warmth and will use this time to have their young and collect food for the colder months. One of the pests that are commonly found foraging around in the warm months is ants. There are thousands of species of ants and many of them look alike and can be hard to tell the difference between. There are some ants that are out looking for a meal they can take back to the queen to feed the colony. There are other ants that will use the exposed wood in the interior of your house to tunnel through and build nests. They each bring trouble and trying to get rid of them can be difficult. A-Tex Pest Management outlines what you can do to get rid of pesky ants in and around your house.
Identification of Problem Ants
There are specific types of ants that you will see around your house depending on where you live. They each live in a certain type of environment and depending on your climate you will see a certain species more than other areas. One of the most common in the area is called a fire ant. They build large mounds in your yard or garden and get their name from the stinging and fiery bite they leave on your skin. Another ant you can see are called carpenter ants. They get the name because they chew through and tunnel through exposed wood and build their nest. They can cause damage to your home that will need to be repaired. You also could start to see Argentine ants that are very common and live in extremely large communities and tend to run out of other ant species that might be in the area. They can take over space in a very short amount of time.
Should You Kill the Ants You See?
One of the first reactions that a homeowner has is to kill any ants that they can see when they come into the kitchen. The problem is that you are only seeing a small number in the line of potentially thousands more coming in next. If you start to spray or squish the ones that you see you are just clearing the path for more and making it difficult to trace where they are coming from. It is best to call out your pest control company to come and lay some bait and find the location of the nests.
Leftovers & Pet Food Attracts Ants
You want to make sure that you avoid leaving food and crumbs out during the warm months. This means out on your picnic table, kitchen counters and open bags of trash. You want to make sure that you clean up often to not be a target for an ant colony. It also helps to not leave pet food out all day as dog and cat bowls filled with food makes a convenient food source.
Ant Inspections, Control & More in Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville, Cedar Park & Austin Texas
A-Tex Pest Management can come out to your home and treat for ants that might be trying to invade your house. Call us today to make your appointment.