Ant Exterminators

Most ant species construct nests in the dirt outside of your home. They come inside looking for food sources, and when they find one, they will emit a pheromone that alerts the rest of the colony to follow them. Some ants will construct nests inside the walls of your home, though. Carpenter ants are notorious for tunneling through our wooden structures to make their nests.

All species of ants can bite, but many kinds of ants prioritize different strategies when it comes to defending themselves. Harvester ants and fire ants, for example, only bite their attackers so that they can latch onto them and deliver a powerful sting with leverage. All ants are capable of biting, but only some have stingers.

It is a common misconception that itchy ant “bites” are actually bites at all. These effects often come from ant stings. Fire ants are the most commonly feared stinging ant. When they sting, they inject a concoction of poisons into our skin that results in a raised white welt, similar to a mosquito bite. Sometimes, fire ant stings can cause anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction that can cause hospitalization.

There are many factors that could lead to a sudden outburst of ants in the house. Ants are great at finding open food sources, especially those riddled with sugar. If you leave some treats out in the open, ants could be all over them in a matter of hours. It is also possible that ants have been making their way around your home for days or weeks before you noticed them. Ants are also attracted to water, so moisture in crawl spaces, beneath plumbing fixtures, and in your kitchen or bathroom could be attracting them.

If you have an ant trail in your home, try to find the source of the trail or their point of entry inside. This might be in your cabinets, baseboards, windows, doors, plumbing fixtures, or other places. Seal any places that might allow ants inside with a silicone-based caulk. You can also spray these areas or the ant trail itself with undiluted vinegar. Most importantly, keep your food sealed and stored away when you aren’t cooking or eating.

Although ants do not infect people with diseases when they bite or sting us, they can carry and spread pathogens and disease-causing organisms. Ants are known to carry Salmonella, which can cause serious health threats. Since ants like to infest our bathrooms and kitchens for their excess moisture, they pick up germs on our sinks and toilets and carry them across our countertops and cookware.

Ants do rest, but they don’t get “sleep” in the same ways that we do. Like many other insects, they shut down for multiple short intervals throughout each 24-hour period for moments of inactivity. These pauses last for around 1-8 minutes. This means that ants can invade your home at any time of the day, as there is no large section of the day where they display inactivity.

Keeping your house clean is the best way to keep ants out. Seal and store your food properly after cooking and wash your dishes right away after eating. Clean up your spills right away, too, especially in the kitchen and bathroom, where there are already sources of moisture to attract ants. Routinely check your home for openings that could allow ants in—this includes window and door screens, baseboards, plumbing fixtures, and more.