Are you sick of finding small little ants making their way around your rooms, kitchen, and bathrooms? Do you fear that they’re inviting other pests to stay at your residence? If so, then you might be wondering “where can I find good ant control near me?”
Never fear! Pointe Pest Control has your back. We’re here to help you understand what causes those ants to make their way in and how you can get rid of them for good.
See below for an in-depth guide that will help you understand ants and a few preventative/reactive ways to get rid of them for good.
The Types of Ants You’re Dealing With
Did you know that there are over 10,000 known species of ants around the world? What’s more, there are still new species that have yet to be discovered!
Fortunately, here in Pennsylvania, there are only 3 primary types of ants that you should be concerned about. Here is more detail on each:
- Odorous Ants: These clever little ants can thrive in almost any environment. They like to set up shop under hard surfaces. Each colony can contain multiple queens, which allows them to split whenever their current nest has been treated. If you’re wondering about the name, it refers to the daunting smell they give off when they’re stepped on.
- Pavement Ants: These ants will eat almost anything, making them the most common ant to encounter in your home. They eat proteins, sugars, salts, grease, and more. As their name would imply, these ants build nests on rocks, concrete slabs, and other types of pavement, working their way inside your home to retrieve sustenance.
- Carpenter Ants: These can be the most alarming ant to find in your house due to their large size. The more trees, sheds, bushes, and woodpiles you have around your property, the more likely you are to find these resourceful ants. Even with their name, they’re somewhat lazy, as they opt for wood that has been softened by water or dry rot.
What Attracts Ants to Your House?
Before you try to figure out how to get rid of ants in your home, it’s advantageous to know what’s drawing them in in the first place! That way, you’ll know how to prevent further infestations in the future.
Just like wasps, cockroaches, or any other pest, certain living situations attract them to certain houses over others. The good news? These factors are under your control.
First, we have to understand the sole purpose of the ant. No matter what species they are, they all share one common goal: bring back food and water for their colony. These clever little insects use to look for certain things before making their way into your home.
The primary thing that attracts ants is standing water and damp areas. These don’t have to be in your home to attract them. For example, if you have a damp woodpile up against your home, you’re basically asking for carpenter ants to set up a nest there. Naturally, they’ll make their way in.
Ants are also attracted to food crumbs found in the house, such as bread crumbs on your counter or your dog’s food bowl that’s laying on the floor. Whatever’s easiest to gain access to.
Lastly, they love the smell of sugar. Be sure to clean off your counters and tables often to prevent the sugary scent from lingering in your home and tempting ants to come to take a look.
How to Get Rid of Ants
Now that you know what’s tempting ants to make their way inside your home, let’s take a look at how to get rid of them. See below for information.
1. Contact Professional Help
This is the most obvious way to get rid of the ants: hire someone with experience and knowledge in doing so.
Hiring a professional pest control company will give you the highest return on your investment. They will gradually repel the ants (or any other pest) from your home and prevent them from reentering.
The solutions that they use are completely safe for your children and pets, so you can have more peace of mind than when you use store-bought products.
2. Use Cayenne Pepper
This should not be the only action you take towards warding off ants. Ants are smart. If you block one entryway with cayenne pepper, they’ll just keep finding new ways in.
Instead, it should be used as a complement to your professional pest control service that you’ve hired, or as a way of warding the ants off until the pest control arrives.
Ants naturally hate the smell of pepper, so placing it around your house allows for a natural and healthy way to deter them from your home.
3. Get Rid of the Pheromones
As all great armies do, ant colonies will send in “scout ants” to check out your property and leave behind pheromones for their friends to follow.
Any time that you see ants in and around your home, sweep the ants away, then apply a cleaning solution to their trail to get rid of the pheromones.
You can create a simple solution at home that contains 3 cups of water and 1 cup of vinegar, with a bit of cayenne pepper mixed in if you’d like.
Ant Control Near Me: Let Pointe Pest Control Show You the Way
Now that you’ve seen an answer to your question of “how do I get rid of ants with ant control near me?”, it’s time to reach out for help.
Do you have a termite issue? If so, then be sure to read this article for more information on how to get rid of termites.
For more inquiries, please feel free to reach out for a free inspection by contacting us at 610-277-7575 and we’ll be happy to help you further.