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How Common Nuisance Ants Get Inside Tulsa-Area Homes
November 13, 2018
When we were kids, the outdoors was our playground and adventuring was a way of life. Do you remember finding ant hills and watching in amazement as lines of workers carried what, compared to them, looked to be massive leaves and twigs? Free entertainment for hours, right? Well, times have changed, and although ants are still fascinating, they become immediately less fascinating when we find them crawling throughout our homes. Why is that? Well, it’s most likely due to the fact that we don’t expect to find bugs meandering about in our homes that we have worked so hard to make comfortable. The fact of the matter is that ants do not belong in our homes.
The Pharaoh Ant
Pharaoh ants are tiny, only a mere 1.5 mm in length. These yellowish orange insects can be identified by their darker brown capped abdomens along with the two nodes found between their thorax and abdomen.
Most commonly these pest ants are found in hospitals but are not foreign to residential homes. Due to their incredibly small size, pharaoh ants have been known for their ability to sneak into seemingly impossible locations. There have even been recorded incidences of pharaoh ants being found crawling inside I.V. tubing!
Pharaoh ants are also known for their ability to contaminate our food. This can be expected from a pest that gets breakfast from a drain or trash can and dinner from our leftover banana bread. Though tiny, pharaoh ants have also been known to carry big disease-transmitting organisms such as Clostridium which can cause tetanus, botulism, and even the necrotizing of intestinal tissue.
The Odorous House Ant
More of a nuisance than anything else, the odorous house ant can be identified by their dark brown to black beehive- shaped abdomens. Roughly double the size of pharaoh ants, odorous house ants have a unique ability that makes them extremely hard to handle. This is their ability to leave behind a scent trail from their colony to food sources that future ants can follow. Meaning no matter how many you kill, they will always magically find their way back into your home.
How Ants Get in, and How to Keep Them Out
Ants will more often than not find their way into our homes through cracks, gaps, and damage found around its exterior. Here are steps you can take to reduce ants ability to invade your home, along with the attractants that often invite them inside in the first place.
- Seal cracks or gaps found in your foundation using a caulking gun.
- Install door sweeps on all exterior doors.
- Store all food, including pet food, in airtight containers and clean after every meal.
- Reduce moisture found around your home, this can be done by implementing dehumidifiers and fixing leaks.
- Call a Professional
The most important step to take when dealing with ants is to call a professional. With year-round pest control programs, you can be sure that Montgomery is right for you. Take your first step toward a pest-free home, and give us a call today!
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