Are ant invasions a yearly occurrence around your Elk Grove home? Have you learned to live with these pests, or does their presence frustrate you equally every time they invade? If you are fed up with dealing with these tiny food-stealers, you are in luck. We know why ants want to be in your home so badly and are in the business of helping homeowners find their freedom from these pests. Here is everything you should know.
Ants Common Around Elk Grove
Elk Grove has a decent variety of ant species. To help simplify things for you today, here are some of the most common ants in our area and a few things to know about each.
Argentine Ants: These smaller, brownish-colored, non-stinging ants love invading homes to scavenge for food. Due to their smaller 1/8th inch long bodies, this pest has no trouble squeezing through tiny cracks and gaps to get indoors.
Carpenter Ants: Carpenter ants are a bit larger than other pest ants in our area. The yare also quite a bit more destructive. These red, black, or red and black pests build their nests inside water damaged, rotting, or decaying wooden structures. If your home is negatively affected in these ways, you could have trouble with these wood-destroying pests.
Little Black Ants: Little black ants are what people think of when they hear the word ants. These small 1/16 inch long, stinging ants commonly build their nests outdoors, but will on occasion invade homes for shelter and to search for food.
Odorous House Ants: As their name suggests, odorous house ants smell bad, specifically when they are squished or feel threatened. This 1/8th inch long, non-stinging pests are one of the more common home-invading ants in our area, especially around the colder months of fall and winter.
Pharaoh Ants: Pharaoh ants are one of the few ant species that carry and spread disease. This dirty pest loves climbing over and eating fatty greasy foods such as sweats and meats and is best identified by its yellowish to brown color and 1/16th inch long body.
Red Imported Fire Ants: Red imported fire ants rarely invade homes, but are instead considered one of the worst yard pests that exist. This 1/4th inch long pest will not hesitate to bite and sting you if your venture to close to its nest. A burning, stinging pain often closely follows a bite from one of these pests.
Some Ways To Prevent Ants
Ants do not need much motivation to invade your home. Most often, a few crumbs and or a couple of drops of sweat liquid are all that is required to draw these pests in. To reduce your chances of a full-on ant invasion this coming spring, here are a few great prevention tips to try:
- Trim back vegetation from around your home’s exterior.
- Keep your lawn and landscaping well maintained.
- Make sure your gutters are working properly.
- Use a caulking gun to fill holes, gaps, and cracks in your home’s exterior foundation and around window/door frames.
- Repair damage to window/door screens, weatherstripping, and door sweeps.
- Avoid feeding your pets outside.
- Pick up left out foods and drinks after outdoor gatherings.
- Invest in pest-proof trash cans.
- Keep your home as clean as possible.
- Store leftover foods inside airtight containers.
To take your ant prevention to the next level, get the experts at Neighborly Pest Management involved. We will make your life a million times less complicated by implementing fast-working and advanced pest control measures around your Elk Grove property.
With our help, ants will be left on the outside looking in. Contact us today to schedule a service visit for your property.