There is one thing for certain- with spring comes insects. Probably the most well-known spring pest in Long Island and surrounding areas are ants. Ants are very common pests that become more active again while nesting and foraging for food and water during the warm spring weather. And becants are so common, many homeowners think that they are not dangerous or that they can easily be eliminated with DIY ant control...unfortunately both are not true.
Ants can be divided into basically two categories- nuisance ants and destructive ants. Nuisance ants don’t cause damage to the structure of your home or cause any harm to you. However, nuisance ants live and work together in very large colonies and they can certainly contaminate your food if they find access. They are very difficult to eliminate without help of professional pest control. A colony with thousands of ants is not going away just by killing the ants you see in the kitchen.
Destructive ants like carpenter ants also live in large colonies but can cause some pretty serious structural damage to your home as they bore holes for nesting. Carpenter ants should not be taken lightly and immediate action should be taken by professionals to eliminate them from your home and property, hopefully limiting their costly damages. Did you know that many people compare the damage of carpenter ants to that of termites? That’s just how destructive these wood destroying ants can be.
For most homeowners, getting rid of ants seems like an easy process- you find ants in your kitchen, you go to the big box store and get ant spray, spray the ants, and done. But DIY ant control shouldn’t be attempted for a couple of different reasons.
- First, the improper mixing or application of pesticides in and around your home can be dangerous for both you and your pets and can lead to serious health problems.
- Second, DIY ant control is generally not effective. Just getting rid of the ants you see in your home is not going to take care of the problem. Ants live in large colonies, sometimes multiple nests, so the only way that you are going to completely get rid of ants in your Long Island home is to find and treat the nesting areas along with the foraging ants.
Even though ants are difficult to control, there are some things you can do around your home to help deter them from getting inside. Prevention tips include:
- Trimming back trees and shrubs from the exterior of your home, ants will use their branches to gain easy access to your home.
- Seal any cracks or crevices in your homes’ foundation or siding.
- Caulk gaps found around windows and doors.
- Make sure that gutters are working properly and that moisture is being directed away from your homes’ foundation.
- Make a stone barrier between any mulch and your homes’ exterior.
- Store outdoor garbage cans away from the exterior of your home; make sure they have tight fitting lids.
- Inside, make sure that food is not left out in the open on counters, that spills and crumbs are immediately picked up and that dirty dishes are not left in the sink for long periods of time.
Even with the best prevention steps taken, sometimes it is not enough and ants can still find their way inside your home. At Parkway Pest Services we have home pest control services available to successfully eliminate the ants that have invaded your home and property. Parkway can then provide you with control and prevention services throughout the entire year to prevent future issues with ants and other pests.
For more information about how to get rid of ants, contact the professionals at Parkway Pest Services. Our Long island pest control experts will be happy to provide you with information about ants and other pests or to schedule a visit!