How To Get Rid Of Ants In Your House In Atlanta
Ants are a widespread and populous insect, counting more than 10,000 species around the globe. They can be found on every continent besides Antarctica and usually live in large, well-organized colonies.
Let's take a quick look at the common ant species in our area, problems that barge into your home with their arrival, and ant prevention tips recommended by Atlanta pest control professionals.
Types Of Ants Common To The Area
Ants are one of the most diverse species of insects, varying greatly in size, habits, and appearance.
Ants can range from less than 1/16 inch to 1 inch in size and usually have bodies that are clearly separated into three regions: a large head, a slim abdomen, and a thorax. All ants have a pair of elbowed antennae and two pairs of jaws - one for chewing and another for digging and moving objects around. Some species, like fire ants, also have a powerful stinger.
Ants live in nests, built either in the ground or in galleries burrowed out of old trees, as it is in cases of carpenter ants. Their colonies can have hundreds of thousands of members and are organized into well-defined casts: a queen responsible for reproduction, reproductive males, and non-reproductive females, which constitute the majority of the colony.
In our part of the world, you're likely to run into the following species trying to set up camp in your home:
- Acrobat ants
- Crazy ants
- Carpenter ants
- Odorous house ants
- Pharoah ants
- Argentine ants
- Fire ants
For a homeowner or an ant pest control professional, the first and arguably most important step in battling an ant infestation is correctly identifying the type of ants infesting your property. Ant species differ greatly in behavior and require a species-specific ant control solution to clear them out of your home.
An Ant Infestation Can Be More Than Just A Nuisance
While most ants in Atlanta are not likely to carry infectious diseases and are more of a nuisance than a threat to you or your home, sharing your house with a hundred-thousand-strong ant nest is not a good idea. Once in your home, ants will bee-line for your pantry, spoiling the food in it while contaminating the surfaces they travel on.
Carpenter ants will tunnel through the wooden members of your home's structure, weakening them and inflicting costly damage on both your home and your pocketbook.
Fire ants are a relatively new import to North America, making their home in our country since the early 1930s. Their dubious claim to fame is the possession of a stinger with which they can inflict painful stings that are likely to start an allergic reaction in people predisposed to ant venom allergies.
How And Why Ants Find Their Way Into Our Homes
Ants are attracted to our homes due to easy access to food, water, and a comfortable place to build a nest. They make their way inside either through a crack or opening in the house walls or during the swarmer season by flying in through the windows.
Effective ant control in Atlanta is not complicated -ensuring no access to food and water, as well as sealing the cracks and crevices in the walls and foundation of your home, will go a long way to keeping your home ant free.
The Best Way To Get Rid Of Ants In Your House
Unfortunately, from time to time, even the best preventative ant control methods fail: after all, you are literally facing hundreds of thousands of insects looking to make their way in.
At Solstys Environmental, we specialize in thorough, eco-friendly green ant control treatments to help you clear ants out of your Atlanta home and keep them at bay.
If you have an ant infestation, give us a call for a free inspection and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Atlanta.