If you’re a Colombusite, you’ve probably heard the fun fact that almost half of United States residents live within 500 miles of Columbus. Because of the city’s convenient location, it’s easy for residents to get out and travel to other places or have guests from out of town. An ant infestation is the last thing you want to deal with when you have visitors or return home from a vacation. Ants in your Columbus home can cause problems ranging from simply annoying to causing damage to your property and endangering your loved ones.
Description Of Ants
Several ants are common to Columbus, including the odorous house ants, carpenter ants, and pharaoh ants. Regardless of the type, though, all ants are annoying. They bite, climb on people and get into your food. Unfortunately, they can also cause swelling, skin rashes, and allergic reactions.
Odorous Ants: Odorous ants are tiny, dark brown to black, and they smell of rotten coconut when crushed. They are most likely to enter your home after it rains, and finding their nests can be challenging because they build in moist places, under floors, and behind walls.
Pavement Ants: The pavement ant ranges in color from light brown to black and is very common in Columbus. The extremities, including the antennae and legs, are typically more lightweight than the remainder of their bodies. Pavement ants usually stay outside and make nests, but they will enter your home and leave a trail for other ants to follow them in their search for food. While the pavement ant is typically not harmful, they will bite if they feel threatened.
Carpenter Ants: The carpenter ant is the most prevalent species of ant in Columbus. They are typically larger than other ants, grow between 3.5 to 13mm in length, and are reddish or black. They are often found outdoors, especially when wet or decaying wood is available, because they tunnel into the wood to build their nests. Despite common myths, while carpenter ants are attracted to wood, they do not use it as a food source. Instead, they are attracted to sweets. If you think you have a carpenter ant infestation, it’s crucial to deal with them as soon as possible. They can cause a significant amount of damage to your home, deck, porch, or any wooden structure on your property.
Pharaoh Ants: Pharoah ants are tiny and yellow. They also have black and red markings on their abdomens. They enter your home during the winters for heat and can cause a huge nuisance. If their nest is disturbed, they can be very sneaky and relocate if necessary. They typically nest in cabinets, under floors, and just about anywhere inside that they can find. Like the carpenter ant, they are attracted to sweets but will eat a variety of other foods.
Why You Struggle To Get Ants Out Of Your Columbus Home
When it comes to ant infestations, it isn’t straightforward to get rid of them on your own. Not only can ants be annoying and unsightly, but they can also create unsanitary conditions and cause damage.
So often, Columbus homeowners attempt to deal with eradicating ants themselves, not understanding that the ants you see only make up 15% of the entire ant population. Ants can build large colonies all over your property, including your yard, gardens, trees, and inside your home’s walls or under concrete slabs.
Ants frequently enter your kitchen and contaminate food, and can also cause structural damage. Attempting to deal with the problem on your own will cost you lots of money without a long-term solution to the infestation. Can after can of OTC ant sprays and traps will waste your money and not care for the entire colony. In addition, these products can be dangerous to your families and pets.
Ant Prevention Tips For Your Columbus Home
Don’t waste your time with ant bait, sprays, and traps that are poisonous or dangerous to pets and people and can be ineffective and unlikely to rid your property complete of a large number of ants. While you should leave the treatment of active ant infestations to the professionals, there are a few tips you can follow to prevent future infestation of your Columbus home.
Remove all ant trails you see.
Watch for scout ants and eliminate them immediately.
Seal all openings in your home to prevent ants from entering your home.
Keep all food sealed and your home clean.
Keep food sources such as pet foods off the ground as often as possible to avoid attracting ants to this small amount of food.
No matter how hard you try to avoid an ant problem, you may find yourself dealing with an infestation. Fortunately, the experts at 1st Response Pest Management can help.
1st Response Pest Management Is The Best Solution
If you have problems with ants around or inside your Columbus home, give 1st Response Pest a call today. Our professional pest control experts have the tools and knowledge necessary to eliminate your ant problem today. At 1st Response Pest Management, we offer residential and commercial services, customer care that goes above and beyond, and licensed pest management technicians. So let us help you get rid of your pests today!