What an Ant Infestation Says About Your Home

Do you suspect you may have ants in your home? If you’re worried these creepy crawlers may have made themselves too comfortable in your home then do not fear, our professional exterminators are here to help. Our team at Palmetto Exterminators has put together a comprehensive ant infestation guide. For a one-stop shop on how to spot ants, why ants invade, and what risks ants pose, read on. 

Signs Your Home Has an Ant Infestation 

It may be easy to brush off a few ants here and there, especially in the in-between spaces like porches or back doors. But spotting a group of ants near the entry to your home is often an indication that there are more to come. It’s what’s known as an ant trail. If they seem to be walking into or away from your home, or up a wall, they are probably leaving a pheromone trail for other ants to follow. This means they plan on taking up residence in your home.

If you see sawdust around your house, especially in a line formation you probably have an ant problem. Carpenter ants have a hankering for wood, like you may expect given their name. If you see sawdust piles around ledges or beams it’s indicative they are burrowing and you should call your local exterminator. 

If you’re spotting some randomly discarded insect wings around your home, keep an eye out for ants. Some ant species have small translucent wings that fall off. These flying ants commonly swarm during the summer months when their young queens are looking to the next. As we approach summer, keep your eyes peeled for small insect wings, as it could mean they plan on nesting in your house. 

You’re not just hearing things. Ants can live in internal walls and even travel between the wall and wallpaper. If you hear rustling in your walls or notice tiny tears in the wallpaper, you probably have ants living in your walls. 

Why Ants Come into Your Home

There are a variety of different household occurrences that can attract insects like ants. Ants prefer cool moist areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and softened wet wood. Cleaning up the perimeter of your yard can help keep ants at bay. Excess foliage and plants around your home can act as a bridge for ants on window ledges and into your home. They also provide the perfect cover for ants to sneak into cracks in your foundation. 

Food is also a major attraction for ants. Keeping your kitchen picked up and your garbage can empty and clean is a huge help in keeping ants out. Ants can also contaminate the food in your pantry. They don’t carry diseases, but they do carry bacteria that can make you sick if ingested. Keeping food in sealed containers can help prevent ants from being attracted to your home, and protect your food if they do gain entry. 

What Ants Can Do to Your Home 

Other than being a nuisance, ants can cause serious damage to your home. Carpenter ants can cause similar damage to termites. Over time they can destroy wooden structures in your home, making a mess and interfering with the structural integrity of your home. Internal walls and beams, porches, window and door frames, and anything made out of wood can fall victim to an ant infestation. Ants also pose a fire risk. If they have damaged wooden structures in your home enough, those structures can collapse onto internal wiring and cause electrical fires. 

Ants also pose some serious health risks. All ants are capable of biting which can be extremely painful. Their bites are usually not life-threatening, but if the wound becomes infected it can cause more serious health issues. Some ants have stingers, like fire ants, which have venom in them. The venom from an ant stinger is much more serious than an ant bite. Not only are they significantly more painful, but if there is an allergy they can be life-threatening. 

Ants are prey for other pests, so they do have the potential to attract other insects into your home by their presence. Other insects aren’t likely to leave once in your home either. The most common pests that are attracted by ants are spiders and bats. Spiders like black widows and brown recluses’ can be extremely dangerous, and vampire bats are something you don’t want in your home. Ants are a problem that will just continue to compound itself. 

If you’re worried you may have an ant infestation in your home, call your local pest control experts immediately. Our team of pest experts at Palmetto Exterminators are proud to protect you and your home from unwanted pests and insects. We are happy to serve many locations throughout the Carolinas. For a full list of our services or your free pest inspection, visit us online or call today!