Ants are not the absolute worst pest you can get in your Bay Area house (unless they’re carpenter ants), but even nuisance ants are not a welcome sight in your home. Most of the ant species in your home won’t put you or your property in any significant danger. For instance, an odorous house ant infestation won’t do much more than stink up your house. However, there are a few ants in our area that can endanger the health of your home. Let’s talk about what you can do to keep out both nuisance ants and their more dangerous fellows.
Common Area Ants
We have several ant species in our area that home and business owners encounter regularly. Several ant species can be dangerous. Common varieties include:
- Carpenter Ants: Carpenter ants are a huge threat to your property. These big black ants tunnel through the wood just like termites. And like termites, they can do severe damage to your house. An untreated carpenter ant infestation can render your home unlivable. That’s why carpenter ant control is the most vital ant control for your home.
- Odorous House Ants: Odorous house ant infestations are not dangerous, just stinky. Odorous house ants smell like rotten coconuts when you crush them or even frighten them. That means a house full of them might contain a foul odor, but it won’t hurt you.
- Pharaoh Ants: Pharaoh ants can be hazardous to your health. Another invasive species, pharaoh ants, don’t sting. Instead, they can sicken you by spreading nasty bacteria like staph, strep, and salmonella. That means controlling these ants is almost as vital as keeping away carpenter ants.
- Southern Fire Ants: The southern fire ant is not the same species as the red imported fire ant. Southern fire ants are a native species of stinging ant common in Southern California, but you might find them as far north as the Bay Area. Still, if you mess with a southern fire ant hill, you’re in for a nasty sting. Southern fire ant hills are smaller than red imported fire ant mounds, so they’re tougher to spot.
Ant Prevention Tips
Getting rid of ants is a lot harder than never getting them in the first place. This is especially true for carpenter ants, which can inflict thousands of dollars of damage on your home while you’re none the wiser. This is why ant prevention is the ideal ant control solution and should be your first line of defense.
Fortunately, there are lots of things you can do to make your home less attractive to ants:
- Store all foods in the fridge or airtight containers.
- Never leave pet foods or dirty pet bowls sitting out.
- Fix moisture problems like clogged drainage or plumbing leaks.
- Cover all indoor and outdoor garbage with tight lids.
- Trim back brush and branches away from your house.
- For carpenter ant control, ensure all the wood components of your home are hard, dry, and undamaged.
- Seal all cracks and holes in your home’s foundation and siding.
What To Do About An Infestation
If you wind up with an ant infestation, do-it-yourself (DIY) ant control solutions probably won’t cut it. Ant colonies are complex, and sometimes massive entities can often replace their queen and carry on even if you kill her and a large percentage of their population. That’s why you’ll need professional help. If you want to eliminate the ants in your home instead of just temporarily reducing their populations, give us a call here at Bay Area Pest Solutions!