Ants are the number one nuisance pest here in the United States. Some ant species are just that — a nuisance, while others will bite you or destroy wood. Although ants are known to help the environment, they don’t belong in your home or business.

Signs You May Have Ants

• Physically seeing ants
• Wood shavings & small tunnels in wood are signs of carpenter ants
• Put an ear to your floors and walls listening closely for insect activity

Helping Prevent Ants

Ants infest properties that provide a reliable source of food, water, and shelter. Below are some ways you can help prevent ants from entering your home.

• Maintain cleanliness, especially in your kitchen
• Seal food in airtight containers
• If you have pets, don’t leave their food out all-day
• Install door sweeps to doors that lead outside
• Apply caulk to cracks and crevices around your home to seal up potential entry points
• If you see ant trails, clean them with soapy water to help remove pheromones. Ants use pheromones to communicate with each other.
• Repair leaky pipes and other sources of moisture
• Regularly empty trash and wipe down bins
• Consider working with a pest control technician to identify vulnerable areas and offer treatment
• Keep shrubbery trimmed back away from your entryway
• Vacuum ants, odorous sugar ants release an unpleasant odor when squished

Dealing with Ants

Ants are some of the most hard-working pests in the world and if you’ve dealt with an infestation you know how difficult they are to eliminate. While most don’t cause any harm, some ants can cause structural damage so if you have an ant infestation, it’s important to address it immediately, especially if you believe it’s a carpenter ant. Also, keep in mind, for every ant you see there are likely hundreds more that you don’t. This is because ants send out scouts to search for food and shelter and when they’ve found a reliable source, they’ll leave pheromone trails to let the others know.