Ants: Harmful Or Nuisance

Often at American Pest we are asked this simple question, “What type of ant should I be worried about?” You would think that there is a simple answer - that there is probably only one species to worry about; but as you have probably already guessed that just isn’t the case. The fact is that any species of ant that decides to invade your Northern Virginia home and property are worrisome and need to be eliminated as quickly as possible.

Some ants should make homeowners worry more than others; the carpenter ant is one of these species. Carpenter ants are a wood destroying ant that when given the chance will turn your home’s structural wood into their own personal nesting area. Carpenter ants are a large black ant that range in size from ¼ to ½ inch in length. Like other ant species they often enter into homes while they are foraging for food, liquids, meats, and sweets. These ants don’t actually ‘eat’ the wood in your home; they use it instead to make their home in. Once inside, carpenter ants are drawn to wood that has been previously damaged by water; so unfortunately along with a carpenter ant infestation you may have a water leak as well.

If carpenter ants are not eliminated from a home quickly, the damage that they can cause can be severe, time consuming, and costly to repair. The structure of your home can be permanently damaged and sections of your house may even need to be completely removed and built again from the ground up!

Other common ants that may enter into Northern Virginia homes include little black ants, pavement ants, and odorous house ants. These ants will all enter into your home through small cracks or gaps in the foundation, underneath of doors or through the spaces found around windows. Once inside, they will help themselves to any crumbs or spills on your floors or counters, or even to Aunt Edna’s special brownies that you have left out on your table. They may also start a satellite colony in your home and nest behind wall voids, in crawl spaces, or underneath the floor.

These types of ants are considered to be nuisance ants, and though they are not as dangerous to your home as the carpenter ant they should be removed as quickly as possible. Nuisance ants will contaminate your food, kitchen, and pantry areas; are difficult to get rid of; and in some cases (odorous house ant) can be quite smelly!

If you are seeing ants moving around your kitchen or other areas of your home, contact American Pest. Our professionals will be able to inspect your home and property, correctly identify the species, find all nesting areas, and offer services to completely eliminate your ant infestation. With American Pest's Preferred Care plans you can be sure that your home will remain free of ants and other common household pests throughout the entire year, leaving you with one less thing to worry about!