An old saying used to describe fidgety children is: "she's got ants in her pants." Perhaps your parents accused you of having ants in your pants! A compressed version of that phrase used to describe a hyperactive person is the adjective "antsy." What is it about ants that makes us want to move?
When you feel like ants are crawling on your body, you feel itchy in your hair, back, legs, and everywhere else! As you see ants traveling across the floor in your Anaheim home, you start to feel like they are crawling on you. The good news is that you can stop ants in your house by securing the Anaheim pest control team from A-1 Bonded Termite. Our experts have eliminated ants for over 45 years from homes allowing residents to relax peacefully.
The Types Of Ants You Could Encounter In Anaheim
Of the thousands of ant species worldwide, the following 12 are common ants in Anaheim homes:
- Carpenter ants: These brown or red ants bore holes in wood to create nests causing structural damage over time.
- Acrobat ants: These light brown to black ants appear to stand on their head when disturbed and are a nuisance to homeowners.
- Crazy ants: These ants are dark brown to blackish with a bluish tint with coarse grey hair; they have the moniker "crazy" due to their erratic walking patterns.
- Fire ants: These red ants build large mounds against foundation structures and landscaping materials and inflict a painful sting on their victims.
- Ghost ants: Sporting a pale, yellowish abdomen with a brown head and thorax, these ants are a nuisance and give off a rotten coconut odor when crushed.
- Harvester ant: These orange-reddish or brownish-black ants create bare spots on lawns; when disturbed, they deliver a powerful sting that has killed small animals.
- Odorous house ants: When crushed, these brown or black ants give off a rotten coconut odor; they contaminate food in the house.
- Pavement ants: You see these dark brown to blackish ants around driveway and sidewalk cracks; they form long lines into the home and contaminate food sources.
- Leafcutter ants: These rusty-brown ants create huge nests of over one million workers who defoliate flowers and plants; their large mandibles can draw blood if they bite.
- Argentine ants: These shiny dark brown-to-black ants contaminate food and will bite if provoked, although the bite poses no health risk.
- Pharoah ants: These pale yellowish ants spread diseases like salmonella and streptococcus pyogenes.
- Thief ants: These yellowish ants steal from other ants and like to forage in kitchens.
These ants require ant control because they can cause property damage, spread disease, contaminate food, and inflict painful bites.
Why Ants Tend To Enter Homes
Ants enter homes searching for food sources like sweets, seeds, bread, meats, cheese, nuts, honey, honeydew, oats, wheat, and flour as they forage in the pantry, kitchen cabinets, and garbage cans, on unswept floors, and on cooking and eating surfaces. Ant control in your house requires eliminating accessibility to food sources.
Like all living things, ants cannot survive on food alone but must also have water. Ants create nests in humid areas around hot water pipes, leaky fixtures, drains, shower stalls, and indoor potted plants. Effective ant control in your Anaheim home involves eliminating excessive moisture.
Ants enter homes searching for shelter. Fungus-ridden, moist wood attracts carpenter ants because they can bore easily through the wood to create nests. Most ants live in wall voids behind baseboards, cracks, and wood damaged by termites or carpenter ants.
Getting Rid Of Ants In Your Yard And Home
To get rid of ants on your Anaheim property, do the following:
- Remove leaf and wood piles from the yard.
- Eliminate areas of standing water on the property.
- Keep trees and shrubs trimmed away from the house.
- Relocate firewood 20 feet from the structure and elevate.
- Keep outdoor trash cans closed.
- Vacuum the house regularly.
- Wipe down cooking and eating surfaces after each meal.
- Keep indoor trash cans closed.
- Store food products in airtight containers.
- Remove pet food from bowls at night and store it.
- Dehumidify humid areas in the house, including the crawlspace.
- Fix leaking pipes and water damage.
Practicing good sanitation and removing areas of excessive moisture are ant control solutions every Anaheim homeowner can apply.
Total Ant Control For Anaheim Residents With A-1 Bonded Termite
In addition to the previously listed suggestions, you need the help of the ant pest control near you, A-1 Bonded Termite. During our free inspection, we will identify the ant species infesting your property, develop a strategy to eradicate the ants and their eggs to prevent future problems, and follow up according to your frequency preferences. Contact us today!