While ants are generally harmless, they do pose a threat when they are in your home and getting into your food. The dirt and other things they walk through on the way to your food may cause problems. Biting ants are a nuisance and annoying, but unless someone has an allergy to them, the only issue will be the itching and scratching. If you have noticed a few ants here and there, you can probably take care of the problem yourself. Here are some tips that can help.
Clean Up the Food and Water
Ants seek out food and water. They prefer sugars and sweets. A small spill of soda is like an endless dinner for them. The colony will send out a few scouts to look for food who then return and bring back all their friends when they find it. This is why it is important to get rid of the insects as soon as you notice a few. Be sure to wipe up any spills, keep the sugar bowl in an airtight, closable container, and do not leave food or drinks sitting around. Use bait traps to kill the scouts before they get back to the colony.
Move Wet Wood and Leaves
Ants have to come from somewhere, they do not just spontaneously appear in your home. They have traveled to get to your property and will find a place to stay while there. Since they need water and food to survive, they will seek out damp wood and leaves. If you have any of these on the property, especially if they are close to the house, move them preferably off the property entirely, but at least get them away from the house until they can be completely removed.
Contact an Exterminator
When you have an infestation, whether inside or outside the house, you may need to hire an extermination company to get rid of the pests. Keep in mind that ants can be beneficial to your garden by eating aphids off your vegetables and helping to aerate the soil. You can ask the exterminators to get rid of the ants inside and design a plan to keep them from coming in while allowing them to stay in the garden area.
Ants are insects you cannot completely avoid. They live everywhere and will travel far to find what they need. A bit of precaution to keep them from wanting to get inside will go a long way in eradicating the issue. For more information, speak with an ant control professional.
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