How Ant Infestations Start In Waldorf Homes

Growing up, were ants a regular problem inside your home, or was it when you reached adulthood that you started having trouble with these pests? Most people are at least somewhat familiar with these small, six-legged food-stealers. If you are here today because you hate finding ants inside your Waldorf home and are looking for some answers to how these pests get inside, here are some things you should know.

How Ants Invade Homes

The largest ants that live in our area are ½ of an inch long. The smallest ants are 1/32 of an inch long. All of this is to say that ants are not that big, even when they are big. This lack of size makes these pests perfectly suited to find their way into homes through the smallest of gaps and openings. Most often ants will sneak inside through spacing under closed doors, gaps around window/door frames, tears in screening, and cracks in your home’s exterior foundation. If you have a habit of leaving doors and windows open, ants will have to work even less to find their way into your living areas. 

The Problems Ants Cause

The most obvious problem ants cause is that they are annoying. When these pests crawl around inside homes, they cause disturbances with their presence. They also can contaminate sources of food with their dirty feet. Some species of ants carry bacteria from trash cans and other dirty areas onto countertops and over left-out food. This type of behavior regularly leads to people getting sick. Two diseases you might contract from ants are salmonellosis and staphylococcus. 

Another species of ant in our area, the carpenter ant, causes trouble by chewing on homes. This invasive pest doesn’t live outside, underground like its close relatives but instead builds nests into structures of softened wood. If carpenter ants find their way into your home’s wood, it could spell thousands of dollars in repair costs down the road.

Some Simple Prevention Tips For Ants

Because ants invade in a wide range of ways, a large variety of prevention tips are necessary to deter these pests from entering into area homes. To help you keep these invasive insects out of your living areas, here are some great places to start.

• Identify cracks, gaps, and holes in your home’s exterior foundation and spacing around window/door frames. Seal these entry points using a caulking gun.

• Investigate window/door screens around your home. Repair any damage to them that you find.

• Repair or replace door sweeps that are in bad condition and no longer providing an effective seal beneath your home’s exterior doors.

• Fix leaky piping and fixtures in and around your home.

• Make sure your gutters and drains are clean and in good working order. 

• Eliminate sources of water build up in and around your home.

• Repair or replace structural wood around your home that is water damaged, rotting, or in decay.

• Keep your living areas clean by picking up food and wiping up drink spills.

• Rid your yard of clutter and debris.

A Simpler Answer To Ants

Most people do not have the time to prevent ants on their own (or lack the motivation to do it right). If you want to keep ants out of your living areas without breaking your bank or your back, hire the experts at Mike’s Pest and Termite Control. Our team of licensed professionals provides quality pest control services to residents here in Waldorf and would be happy to get your home everything it needs to fight back against ants. All you have to do is give us a call.