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Spring Pest Alert - Ants Are Marching Your Way...
Spring Pest Alert - Ants Are Marching Your Way...
Warm weather is almost here and so are millions of hungry ants that have not had a meal in almost 6 months. But you can protect your home from these starved invaders by asking the right questions, knowing their feeding habits, making good landscape and structural modifications, seeking the source, and applying material safely and accurately.
Getting to the source of the problem. Indoors or out?
Most ants that you see in your home during the spring have come from somewhere outside the house. Outdoor food for ants is not nearly as plentiful as in the summer months and foraging ants will travel great distances in the spring (up to 100 yards) to find prime protein resources, which is important for their egg production. If you've seen ants during the winter, you may be dealing with a nest on the inside of your home and inspection and treatment will mostly be performed indoors.
Keeping the ants at bay
There are several things homeowners can do to help prevent a home invasion of ants. Key steps include but are not limited to:
- Create at least one foot of space between vegetation and the home.
- Store woodpiles off the ground and away from the home.
- Anderson recommends the use of pea gravel laid down against the side of the house rather than the nutrient-rich protective mulch.
- Remove leaf litter from the foundation and gutters.
- Seal all gaps around pipes and utility lines entering the home.
Completely eliminating ants from your home and property is no job for amateurs. Most do-it-yourself ant control approaches only kill the ants you see. Without penetrating and destroying the nests, both inside and outside the home, it's almost certain that the ants will return.
If ants are marching on your home, call Anderson. Our trained and experienced technician will:
- Identify the type of ant or ants causing the problem.
- Conduct a full property inspection that includes your yard, attached and detached structures, driveway and home.
- Apply a barrier treatment outside your foundation to protect your home during the warmer months.
- Safely apply bait gels and dusts for interior nests.
- Directly treat nests on the outside of the property.
- Seal small common entry points if they are contributing to the infestation.
- Create a full report describing the treatment and how you can protect your home from further infestations.
