Getting Rid Of Ants In Your Rocklin Home The Right Way
Clear Sign Of An Ant Infestation In Your Home
Ants are so tiny that you can easily overlook them even if you have an infestation. Luckily, there are a few more noticeable signs that ants leave behind. Here is a look at some of the signs that you may notice if you have an ant infestation :
- Mounds of dirt: Many ants will build their colonies out of the soil in your yard. The colony will look like a cone-shaped pile of dirt. Some ant mounds can be small but up to six feet wide and over two feet tall.
- Hollow wood: Like termites, carpenter ants like to consume wood. They will commonly tunnel inside the wood. If you notice any hollow sounds when you knock on your wooden floorboards or the wooden beams in your home, you should inspect the area for ants.
- Discarded insect wings: Some carpenter ants, called swarmers, have thin, white wings. Both male and female carpenter ants are capable of having wings. However, when they mate, the female ant will lose her wings, and the male ant will die. If you see dead ants or discarded wings around your home's door and window sills, chances are you have an ant infestation.
- Trail of ants. If you see one or two ants in your home, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have an infestation. However, when a worker ant goes out to find food, it will leave a pheromone trail to let the other ants know how to get to the food source. The other ants in the colony will then follow the trail in a straight line walking directly on the pheromones left by the worker ant.
- Weakened wooden structures: If you have a severe carpenter ant infestation, you will eventually notice that the wooden structures around your home are brittle or crumble when touched.
- Frass and Kick-out holes: Carpenter ants tunnel through wood to create galleries for the colonies. They will kick out sawdust as they burrow into the wood. This sawdust is called frass and contains carpenter ant feces, parts of dead insects, building materials, and more.
Ants typically travel in large groups. If you see one ant, there is a good chance that the ant is just there to scout out the place. Once this area has been deemed safe, the rest of the ants will move in.
The Many Problems Ants Can Create In Your Home
Ants, especially carpenter ants, can cause a lot of damage to your property. They will eat the wood in your home and could cause expensive structural damage.
Fire ants are also common in Rocklin. While they are not known to hang out indoors, they can take over your yard. They can also sting and bite, which can be painful and cause an allergic reaction in some people.
Call The Pros At The First Sign Of Ants In Your Home
One ant can turn into a full-blown infestation before you know it. Because ants can hide in hard-to-reach places, like in the insulation in your walls, getting rid of ants on your own can be challenging.
If you notice an ant in your home, you should call a professional pest control specialist as soon as possible. The best way to completely eliminate ants from your home is to take action quickly.
Natural Ways To Prevent Future Ant Infestations In Your Home
The best ant control solution is to prevent an infestation from happening in the first place. Here is a look at some easy prevention tips to keep ants from entering your home:
- Keep food stored in airtight containers.
- Make sure to wash used dishes promptly.
- Sweep and mop your floors regularly to ensure no food particles are on them.
- Wipe countertops and tables often.
- Use caulking to seal up any gaps and cracks around your home.
Call us today to get rid of all the ants in your Rocklin home. At Patriot Pest Management, we have over forty years of experience dealing with all types of ants that create their colonies in this area.
