A solitary ant scurrying across your kitchen bench is easy to squish. A small group of ants is equally easy to wipe away and destroy. However, these ants are scouts for hundreds, maybe thousands more of their fellow ants in colonies, who are waiting in your lawn, walls, under floors, in the roof, attic or foundations. You need to get rid of ants! If one of these scouts detects a morsel of food, whether a breadcrumb, a granule of sugar or a sticky cordial stain, you may soon be faced with a trail of ants that your dish cloth can no longer contend with.
These ants are following a chemical trail set by the scouts that links their nest with the food source in your home. Until you eliminate them, you’ll have to continue dealing with their presence. Aside from how annoying and unsightly it is to have a trail of ants moving around your kitchen, what is the big deal with having an ant infestation in your home?
Ants Affect Hygiene and Potentially Spread Disease
While ants may not destroy property like other pests such as termites, they can pose a risk on the occupants of your house. Ants have the potential to spread disease. This is because ants are opportunistic eaters. While they prefer sweet foods, they will eat whatever is available which includes dead insects, roadkill, rotting meat in bins, etc. Ants may be moving from these food sources into your pantry.
Some Ants Bite
Some introduced pest species of ants, such as black house ants and carpenter ants bite. Being bitten doesn’t pose any health risks and generally isn’t that painful when compared to other creatures. However, it’s still not a pleasant experience and small children may find it more painful. Singapore ants, another introduced species, can inflict a painful sting. But this isn’t the worst thing about them.
Singapore ants are attracted to plastics in electrical, irrigation and other equipment. They often nest in power sockets, where they chew on electrical wiring. These ants can cause power disruption and have even been responsible for causing electrical fires.
Getting Rid of Ants
The ants you find in your kitchen may not bite you, start fires or spread disease. However, it’s still a good idea to get rid of them. The first step is to make sure food residue and spills are attended to. Clean the kitchen well, ensuring there isn’t any food scraps hiding in corners.
- Bait – Place bait along any trails you find for a week or two. Worker ants will deliver some to the nest, eventually killing the colony. Be careful not to leave bait where children or pets can consume them.
- Repel – Colonies are incredibly resilient and relocate fast when threatened. A few survivors are enough to establish a new colony. Use a repelling barrier on all potential entry points to the house to prevent them returning.
- Eliminate – If you can find the ant nest, destroy it using ant sand or granules, spread a metre around the nest area. Ant nests can often be found under driveways, pavers and rocks in the yard.
Keep in mind that a lot of ant nests are difficult to destroy. In some cases, the nest might be in the cavity of your wall. You may require professional pest control services to ensure the issue is properly dealt with.
Pest Control Services in Queensland
For reliable solutions to pest problems on your property in Brisbane, Redlands, Ipswich or Logan, call the team at Critters Pest Management. We use the latest tools and treatments to quickly eliminate ants and other pests from your home or business. Our range of pest control services include getting rid of ants as well as termite inspections, termite treatments and termite barriers.
Call our friendly professionals today on 07 3820 2238 to make a booking or contact us online.