Reasons To Ant Proof Your Home

In Montgomery County there are three types of ants you're most likely to see: carpenter ants, odorous house ants, and pavement ants. There are thousands of different species but these are the most common ones. If you find any of these ants around your home, it is easy to ignore them, but it is ill-advised. Ants can cause structural damage to your home, contaminate food supplies, damage gardens and plants, and spread illness.

Of these three, the large black carpenter ants are the worst--though some might argue that the smell of a dozen squashed odorous house ant puts them at the top of the list. Honestly, nothing is more important than the equity you have in your home. If you have carpenter ants, there are two serious issues you need to think about. First, the wood in your home is wet or rotting somewhere. Carpenter ants don't eat wood, they burrow through it. And they are especially fond of wood that has been softened by moisture. If they are in your home, there is a good chance you have some structural problems to deal with. Tracking where the ants are coming in from the outside, will help you isolate your trouble spot. Second, carpenter ants are destructive. Though they don't eat wood, they do chew it. If you have rotten wood, they will cut "galleries" into that wood, reducing it to Swiss cheese. Over time, this is a financial headache for any homeowner.

Ants travel through many unpleasant places. If your neighbor is throwing away bacteria infested items, the ants that crawl across that could be the same ants that are getting into your flour. If you have a compost pile out back, ants could bring rot into your cupboards. And what is scary about this, is that you could be battling illness in your home, and not even realize that the ants are to blame. While there’s only a few species of ants (the pharaoh ant especially) who are known to transmit illness, you simply don’t want the ants that live outside crawling through your kitchen cupboards.

It is also best to ant proof your home before you have an infestation. Ants are hard to get rid of once they have made their home on your property, because they can travel a great distance from their colony. Trained professionals know how to track and bait ants. If you're already infested, they can help you kill the problem at its root. If you're lucky enough to catch the ants before they invade your home, a professional can seal and protect your foundation and siding from infiltration. Get rid of those ants and keep them gone for good.

For professional ant control in Montgomery County, contact American Pest today!