It’s a common frustration for homeowners in Virginia: you find ants crawling all over your kitchen, you kill as many as you can see with a rolled up newspaper, then you wake up the next day to find more. Next, you buy traps at your local hardware store, but they prove just as ineffective. Now what?
Keep reading to learn about the issues ants can cause in your home and the best solution for getting rid of these annoying pests.
Common Ant Issues
- Food Contamination – The most persistent problem with ants is that they love to swarm all over any food they can find. This isn’t just gross, it can also be dangerous. Odorous house ants and other common species in Virginia are known to carry harmful bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella and streptococcus. When ants infest your kitchen, they can spread these diseases to your food, making you sick when you eat it.
- Venomous Stings – While they are not native to Virginia, invasive fire ants have become a serious issue throughout the state. Fire ants are appropriately named, since they are red in color, fiery in disposition, and armed with a painful venomous sting. If fire ants nest in your yard or invade your home, they’ll swarm and sting you at the slightest provocation. Some people may experience a serious allergic reaction to these stings.
- Wood Damage – Carpenter ants, a common species in Virginia, are the second most prolific wood-destroying pests, after termites. While carpenter ants don’t eat wood they do nest in it, and they’ll happily use the wooden structures of your home as a substitute for a rotting log. Carpenters ants are particularly drawn to moist wood, often infesting water-damaged wood in bathrooms or kitchens.
How Do I Get Rid of Ants?
Between the bacteria they spread, the damage they can cause, and the fact that some species are venomous, ants aren’t something you want to share your home in Virginia with. To prevent ants from entering your home to begin with, try eliminating factors that attract them. Store all of your food in tight containers to prevent ants from feasting on it and repair any leaking pipes before they create the moist wood that carpenter ants love to tunnel through.
If you’ve already got an infestation, the only surefire way to get rid of them is with a professional pest control company in Virginia. Licensed pest control technicians use special products and techniques to thoroughly eliminate ants from your property, even exterminating the entire colony if necessary. Do you need ant control services for your home? Contact Pest Proof today to schedule ant control services in Virginia!
