With Spring less than a month away, don’t be surprised to see an increase in pest activity as the weather warms. Of the many insects becoming active you can expect ants to start foraging in and around your home. If you have noticed a line of ants marching toward your kitchen you are not alone. For many homeowners, ants are a hard pest to control. The experts in New York ant control at Parkway Pest Services have some information on what types of ants you may be seeing and also how you can prevent ants from invading your home.
Common ants in New York
Among the many species of ants, the most common species to the New York area are carpenter ants, odorous house ants, and pavement ants.
- Carpenter ants can be quite destructive and they are often compared to termites. Although carpenter ants do not eat wood like termites, they do carve galleries which still leaves wooden structures destroyed, weakened, and in need of repair. These guys are the largest species of ant, up to a half an inch long and either all red, all black, or a combination of both. Moist or rotten wood is most susceptible to carpenter ant infestations.
- Odorous house ants are the small ants usually found roaming around kitchens in search of something sweet. They can be black or brown and they leave behind a strong odor, usually said to be like a rotten coconut smell, when they feel threatened or are crushed. The odorous house ant is not capable of much damage, although they are a major nuisance pest as their colonies contain thousands of ants and could be near your heat sources or insulation.
- Pavement ants are the third commonly found ant species in the New York and Connecticut areas. Also very small, around 3 mm long, pavement ants are a dark brown or black color. They generally form their colonies under large rocks, in sidewalk pavement, or even under building slabs. Like the odorous house ants, you may find pavement ants feeding on sweets, other insects, or even greasy foods.
Ant Prevention Tips
- Considering your kitchen is a popular place for ants to find food, keeping your kitchen clean and food properly stored is a good way to prevent ants from marching inside. Store food in containers with tight fitting lids and always wipe up after any spills. Also, check that your cupboards or food pantry does not contain any open sweets or spills.
- Check that your windows and doors are properly sealed and do not contain any holes or cracks that could be easy access for ants to get inside.
- Do not use store bought ant sprays. These will only force ants to take another path and will not get to source of their colony. It will actually make it harder to get rid of your ant problem in the end.
Being proactive will reduce your chances for infestation; however if you find yourself with an ant problem, we recommend seeking help from pest control professionals.