Ant Control Made Easy For Mooresville Homeowners

Some might consider ants more of a nuisance than a dangerous pest. While a few ants here and there are not usually a cause for concern, these tiny invaders can quickly cause a series of problems in your home while being challenging to eliminate. Many types of ants can take over North Carolina properties, including fire ants, house ants, carpenter ants, and black ants. Each species can lead to various problems, some more problematic than others. Fire ants, for example, are venomous and will bite people if feeling threatened. Carpenter ants prefer to live in damp wood, where they will chew galleries and build nests, causing issues sometimes worse than termites.

If you see many ants in your home, get educated on the characteristics of common ants, learn about the problems an ant infestation can cause, and discover six simple yet effective ant prevention tips to try and keep these unwanted pests at bay. Don't hesitate to contact us if you are struggling with an ant infestation. At Lake Norman Home Services, we proudly provide pest control in Mooresville that you can depend on to make your home free of ants year-round.

Characteristics Of Common Ants

Are you dealing with ants, or could it be insects that look like them, like termites, ant-like beetles, or immature cockroaches? When it comes to eliminating, learning some of their most common characteristics can help determine which treatments are most effective.

Ants are insects, which means that they have three pairs of legs. They are usually dark brown or black, although some can be shades of yellow and red. Most of the ones you will find around your home are workers and, therefore, wingless. Unlike termites with straight bodies, ants have a pinched waist between the thorax and abdomen. Most ants are tiny but can be up to half an inch long. They have a pair of bent antennae. Ants are social animals that live in colonies consisting of worker ants, sterile females, reproductive ants, males (who do not live long after reproducing), and queens. Treatments need to reach the queen ants to eradicate an infestation; otherwise, they will keep repopulating the colony. Queens live longer than workers, are larger, have wings, and have larger abdomens.

Controlling only the ants with store-bought ant control solutions might only be effective enough if they reach every ant in the houses. If you are dealing with an ant problem, it is time to consider the options available to control it because an infestation can cause various issues in your home. 

The Problems An Ant Infestation Can Cause In Your Home

Because ants are so tiny and common, it can be tempting to ignore them, especially when the infestation is still early. However, an ant infestation is a serious issue because it can cause various problems in your home, and it is best to eliminate it while it has not expanded. Some of the damage to look for include:

• Food spoilage and contamination: Ants, much like other invaders like cockroaches, are known to invade food supplies and contaminate them with various pathogens, including salmonella, streptococcus, and Shigella. If bacteria are already in your home, ants can spread them. Different types of ants are attracted to various food sources. For example, common house ants may prefer sugary foods and juices. In contrast, fire ants prey on small insects, and carpenter ants are happy to invade greasy foods and meats as they dig galleries inside your walls. It is best to keep food stores safely in tightly sealed containers and to dispose of leftovers promptly to keep pests away. It will also help control other types of infestations.
• Additional pest infestations: Ants can quickly attract other pests, causing you to deal with multiple infestations simultaneously.; this is especially the case in backyards and gardens. It can also be the case indoors, especially with carpenter ants who create galleries that other invaders can use. As surprising as it sounds, if ants get electrocuted, they can, in turn, attract other ants, causing an even bigger problem.
• Electrical problems: Because ants often invade areas like kitchens with various electrical appliances, these tiny insects can cause significant damage to wires and other electrical components. 
• Painful and venomous stings: Several types of ants are known for being aggressive and inflicting painful stings, which can turn into rashes and blisters. Some of the most common ones in the area are fire ants. You can recognize them by their dull red bodies and the presence of a stinger on their abdomen. Ants can also bite.
• Structural damage: Carpenter ants can cause structural damage, much like termites. While termites eat wood and can digest cellulose, carpenter ants dig through walls creating galleries to move through and build nests. If you deal with this ant, you want to use carpenter ant control in your house.

Ants may be tiny, but they can cause many problems. While eliminating an entire ant population can be tricky without specific pest control knowledge, you can still do your part by utilizing the following six simple yet effective ant prevention tips.

Six Simple Yet Effective Ant Prevention Tips 

The best way to eliminate ants is to combine prevention methods with treatments when necessary. These six simple yet effective ant prevention tips can help keep infestations at bay year-round:

1. Keep your home dry: Many pests, including ants, are attracted to moisture. It could be regular humidity, which you can lower with dehumidifiers, or more complex problems from leaks. You must fix all leaks as soon as you see them and consider a home inspection to identify leaks within your walls or under the floor.
2. Store food correctly at all times: Ants invade homes looking for food, water, and shelter. To deter them effectively, keep food stored safely, including a well-organized pantry with tightly closed containers and maintaining a clean kitchen and dining area throughout the day.
3. Keep pet food away from ants outside of feeding times: Ants can easily invade pet food bowls since they are often low to the ground and easily accessible. Consider feeding your pets at specific times of the day and keeping the food stored away the rest of the time. Contact us to learn more about dog-friendly ant control products on the market.
4. Seal access points: Ants in Mooresville are tiny and can get through small openings. Please do not make it easier for them. Try to seal as many entry points as possible, including cracks in walls and foundations, replace damaged window frames and doors, install fine-mesh screens and door sweeps, and ensure all vents and pipes are well maintained.
5. Schedule regular inspections with pros: Taking the guesswork out of pest control can free up your mental space. Instead of trying to figure it all out on your own, a better idea is to reach out to the pros, which can quickly determine why ants took over your home. Regular inspections can also reduce the likelihood of needing chemical treatments later.
6. Maintain your yard throughout the seasons: Ants can be a beneficial addition to yards in reasonable quantities. If they are part of a healthy ecosystem outdoors, they will be less likely to come indoors. Keep bushes and trees trimmed and healthy, and try to keep shrubs away from the structure of your home, which can help keep ants away too.

While these tips are always helpful, sometimes, you need to use treatments when ant problems become bothersome. When you require professional help, our licensed and highly trained technicians can help.

The Secret to Total Ant Control For Your Home

The secret to total ant control for your home is a combination of practical and safe ant treatments and routine prevention techniques. At Lake Norman Home Services, we are proud to offer top-rated ant control in Mooresville to help keep your household safe from many kinds of pests. 

Please contact us today to request your free quote and schedule a home inspection. After our initial visit, you will see why we are one of the state's best-rated lawn care and pest control companies, with a large selection of EPA-approved pest control treatments. We offer excellent customer service, affordable service plans, and convenient treatment schedules. From basic plans that cover crawling pests such as ants and rodents to elite service plans that include wood-destroying organisms and top-priority appointments, you are sure to find a plan that fits your needs and budget.

Ants may be tiny, but they can cause various problems, from contaminating your household with dangerous pathogens to inflicting painful bites and stings and even damaging the structure of your home. Please don’t wait for the issue to worsen, and let us take care of your infestation for you safely and permanently with ant control strategies that work.