Most ants are relatively harmless, but some can cause damage and spread illnesses in your house. Knowing how to tell which ants are infesting your home and how to prevent them from getting in will help you avoid these problems. Read on to learn more about keeping ants out of your home and how Brandon pest control professionals can help.
Signs Of An Ant Problem On Your Property
The first sign of ants on your property is in your yard, where they build nests. These pests usually live underground and enter homes looking for food and water to take back to their colony or shelter from hot weather or flooded areas. Some of the signs that ants are in your yard or home include:
- Ant trails: The first ants that come into your home leave a path for others to follow.
- Mounds of dirt: Dirt piles in your yard might be ant hills leading to the nest.
- Rustling sounds inside walls: Ants can get inside walls in their search for food.
Thousands of ants exist in each colony, so their appearance means many more are nearby. These pests can be hard to find, but dependable pest control companies can determine where the ants are coming from and destroy the nest.
The Many Problems An Ant Infestation Can Create In Your Brandon Home
Most ants are annoying pests and don't cause any real danger to people or buildings. They'll contaminate food and surfaces, but you usually won't get sick from them crawling around your home. However, some ants can cause damage to your house or illnesses in your family. Some of the ants that cause problems outside of food contamination include:
- Acrobat ants can strip the insulation off electrical wires, causing short circuits and electrical fires.
- Big-headed ants can cause minor damage to lawns and houseplants.
- Harvester ants sting when threatened, causing allergic reactions in some people.
- Pharaoh ants can spread various illnesses in a house.
- Carpenter ants tunnel through wood to create nests, potentially weakening the structural integrity over time.
- Odorous house ants produce an unpleasant smell when crushed.
Ants have distinguishing characteristics that enable people to tell the species invading their home, but their size makes this hard for non-professionals. Professional ant control in Brandon can determine which ants are in your home and ensure they're not a threat.
Simple Tips To Prevent Ants In Your House
Once ants get into your house, they're hard to get rid of without professional help. However, there are preventative steps to keep these pests from entering in the first place.
Some of the ant prevention tips to keep ants from invading your Brandon home include:
- Fix leaks in pipes, faucets, and air conditioning units.
- Close cracks and gaps around windows and doors.
- Clean crumbs and spills off surfaces.
- Store food in airtight containers.
- Dispose of trash regularly.
- Keep piles of wood at least 20 feet away from your house.
- Cut tree branches away from your home.
These tips will help keep these Brandon pests out of your home, but some ants still might find a way inside. Local pest control will discover where these ants are getting in and close all entry points to keep them out.
Leave Ants In Brandon To The Professionals
Ant colonies consist of thousands, so they'll keep coming if you don't eliminate the source. At Friendly Pest Solutions, our technicians will inspect your home to determine where these pests are getting in and create ant control solutions to keep them out. Call us today to get rid of ants and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Brandon.