Ants are not always harmful, but they are a nuisance. If you’ve ever dealt with these six-legged menaces breaking and entering, you know that they suddenly appear in:
- Jars of honey
- Sugar
- Cereal
- Soda
- Any other containers with sugary substances
Ants can be found in a vast variety of tasty food items you were not planning to share with them. While there are roughly 812 species of ants here in the United States, there are only five species that are likely to try and share your space and steal your picnic. The good news is you can combat these pests and keep your sugar all to yourself!
Most Ants Won’t Bother You
“Odorous House Ants” are what we Texans usually refer to as Sugar Ants. They are small, sneaky, and have quite a sweet tooth.
While preventative measures are helpful, finding even fewer than ten ants in your home can signify that you have a swarm and a colony, meaning calling the experts at this point would be wise. Act quickly when you notice signs of these ants.
Ways to Keep Ants Out
Try these quick tips to prevent ants from moving in and eating your food.
- Use airtight containers for food storage
- Clean dishes daily
- Take out the trash regularly
- Pour white vinegar down the garbage disposal to clean it
- Vacuum daily to prevent crumbs from luring ants in
- Clean surfaces regularly with a mix of white vinegar, water, and dish soap
- Sprinkle coffee grounds outside your house (bonus benefit, plants love coffee grounds as much as ants hate them)
Ant Infestations Should Be Taken Seriously
While natural solutions claim to be effective in combating these insects, these solutions often do not work or aren’t effective in solving the root of the problem. In addition, “natural” doesn’t necessarily mean safe, and many DIY treatments can harm children, adults, and pets.
While you may be a fan of some bugs, they shouldn’t be welcome guests. Unfortunately, there are invisible threats to having ants in your home, so contacting an expert is essential.
Ants don’t wipe their six little feet when they walk through your door, spreading bacteria on your surfaces and the food they touch. Staph infection strains and salmonella have been traced back to ants contaminating food. Make sure to throw out food where there is any ant activity and make an appointment with a professional pest management team to rid your home of these pests.
If these steps seem labor-intensive or the ants are already settling in, and you want rapid results, contact us at Pest Management Services of Lubbock Texas. We’re the experts at ant removal and will have you bug-free in no time!