Texas is home to many species of ants, and any time ants are inside your home or setting up residence outside, it is advisable to pay attention. Ant colonies can grow from a few to a few hundred or even a few thousand quite quickly. Ants can be destructive, inside and out, as they will eat just about anything, and can attack people, pets, and wildlife. Ants will cause a great deal of property damage, as well as being health risks to humans. The ant pest control experts at EnviroGuard Pest Control want Laredo property owners to be prepared for ants and know what to do to prevent them.
All About Ants
While only a few species of ants you'll encounter are venomous, they can all be carriers of disease, such as E. coli, shigella, salmonellosis, staphylococcus, clostridium, and streptococcus. Ants often transmit diseases through contaminated food and can trigger asthma and allergies in humans. There are hundreds of ant species that in Texas, so you may encounter several different kinds of ants in and around Laredo. Not all are dangerous to humans; however, those that are dangerous can pose a great risk. Read on to learn about a few common, more dangerous species of ant often encountered in Laredo homes.
Common Dangerous Ants Found In Laredo Homes
- Red imported fire ants – Fire ants are red to dark reddish-brown. They sting rather than bite, and the venom stings and burns. This species of ant is aggressive, and often more than one will sting a person at a time.
- Carpenter ants – Carpenter ants are red, black, or a combination of the two. Carpenter ants will bite humans and pets, leaving a burning type of pain. These ants will excavate wood as they build their nests, especially wet and decaying wood. Over time, they can cause a lot of damage to structures.
- Crazy ants – Crazy ants are red to brown colored, and usually live outside, but they will move inside buildings and homes in search of food. They do bite, though are not as painful as fire ants. Crazy ants breed quickly and can take over a property in a very short time.
- Pharoah ants – These tiny black and red ants do not bite humans but will infest and reproduce rapidly. Pharaoh ants can contaminate food, spread diseases, and in cases like healthcare settings can infest and enter patients' wounds, bedding, and sterile treatment supplies.
Why Ants Want To Come In
Ants want to come inside for many reasons; they are usually motivated to find food, warmth, and a place to nest. Ants love sugar, and once they find it, they will leave a scent trail for others to come to join in. A little sugar goes a long way, and ants will arrive in large numbers for spilled juice, soda, or candy, for example. Homeowners can reduce the attraction for ants by using proper food and trash storage, prompt food spill clean-up, regular deep cleans of less-thought-of places like cupboards or under heavy appliances. Clean up spilled pet food and throw away rotted foods like fruit and vegetables, essentially removing the temptation from ants so they will not try to get inside.
How Ants Get In Homes
How ants get in homes is not a huge mystery — they are tiny and clever and can find a way in through some of the smallest holes, crevices, gaps, and cracks on the exterior of homes and buildings. Ants can climb from trees onto roofs and then get into homes that way. Ants can come in homes along pipes, through foundation gaps, under flooring, through windows, doors, and even come in on plants, toys, and pets. Some ways you can prevent ants from getting in:
- Check screens, windows, and doors for gaps and ways in.
- Keeping surfaces and floors inside and outside clean from food and crumbs.
- Keeps trash bins sealed and use liners.
- Keep food in sealed containers.
- Seal all holes, cracks, and possible ant entrances to your home.
- Clear yard debris and trash away from your house.
- Ants leave a scent trail, so if you see some coming in from outside, try to wash away the scent trail.
Ant Control – Call In The Pros At EnviroGuard
Ant control is not a simple process, and knowing how to get rid of ants is no simple process. Simply spraying some chemicals and hoping for the best rarely, if ever, works. An ant infestation is going to require an ant control expert. EnviroGuard Pest Control has a highly qualified team and years of ant control and removal experience around Laredo and across Texas. Chemicals can be harmful and identifying the species of ant one has is not easy, so professional pest control help is the best choice to remove an ant infestation.
If you suspect an ant problem on your property or inside your Laredo home, call the professional ant control team at EnviroGuard Pest Control as soon as possible. We know very well how to get rid of ants and prevent future infestations. We want to help keep your property safe and serve all your commercial and residential pest control needs.