Pest Command.com

ANTS

Ants we see them everywhere and they say they have been living on the Earth for more than 100 million years. It is estimated that there are about 20,000 different species of ants. They live in colonies which sometimes can number into the millions. For this reason ants have been called Earth’s most successful species. But we don’t want them in or around our homes.
Many people are allergic to their stings (fire ants are the worst), as well as depending on the kind of ant they can cause damage to your home (such as the carpenter ant) and also damage your yard. Did you know some ants tunnel straight down up to 15 feet to hibernate during winter.

 Ok a little ant information here: basically there are 3 types of ants in each species, the queen, the sterile female workers and the males. The queen spends her life laying eggs, the male serves one purpose which is to mate with the queen, and that leaves the sterile female workers.
Ants are scavengers and their main job is to look for food. They are also known as nature’s best clean up crew. Believe it or not, ants are responsible for “cleaning up” much of the environment.

This leads us to ants in our homes. How did they get there and where are they coming from? They will find the smallest crack and crevice to gain access to your home in search for food. Around doors, walls, windows and even your foundation or crawl space. When food is found ants lay down a scent as it returns to the nest. Other ants will pick up the scent and follow the trail to the food. That’s the reason you see that long line of ants coming and going along your floor or counter.

Prevent access:
1. Seal all cracks and crevices in your floor, foundation and walls. Take a look under your sinks in the kitchen and bathroom. Make sure there are no holes around the pipes coming out of the walls. You can use caulking, foam sealant or tape to close the hole. Look at your windows and make sure the seal is intact. Also your doors should not have any access for ants or other unwanted bugs. Sometimes storm and screen doors have gaps at the bottom. You can close that gap by visiting your local hardware store for weather stripping.
2. Insect granules around your home and yard work well and will not only help control ants but other insects as well. (You must read the label carefully for safe use, so you do not cause any harm to your family or pets) Spot treatment can be done with can insect spray.
Bait stations work well inside the home. Make a map of where you put them because sometimes we often forget where they are. As well as mark the date on a calendar when you place them. Why you ask, well they only last for so long and need to be replaced.
3. Lastly the most important is to keep your home clean and free of food for the ants to find. Usually it’s the kitchen/dining room where ants are found. So during nightly cleanup make sure and wipe down the table, counter tops  and vacuum or sweep the floors. Remember if there is no food for them they will go somewhere else to look for it.