ANTS
What are ants?
Ants live successfully in just about every indoor or outdoor space. These persistent pests take advantage of the food, water, and shelter our homes provide.
Ants are easily identifiable. We regularly come across them in our yards, parks, sidewalks and streets. They are also easy to spot because of their unique appearance. Ants have defined three-segmented bodies and short antennae. They also have six short legs that allow these pests to move quickly from their nest to a food source each day.
Are ants dangerous?
Ants should never be welcome in our homes because, though most are only nuisance pests, they can still cause some problems.
Before crawling across your kitchen’s counters or table, they were likely outside crawling across the ground or inside trash cans. Any bacteria they came into contact with will be transferred to your home’s surfaces and food, contaminating both.
Also, most ants have high moisture needs, and things like leaky pipes or poor ventilation may drive them indoors.
An ant presence could also indicate that the exterior walls of your home could be compromised. Cracks and external damage to your home will fail to keep not only ants but other pests out as well.
It is also a well established fact that ants can use their pincers to cause painful bites. No one enjoys the feeling of several dozen of these pests biting your leg or feet.
Why do I have an ant problem?
Ants are small an adept at seeking out shelter from Arizona’s hot, dry weather. They are also constantly on the hunt for easy access to food and water. A single ant might not seem like something to be concerned about, but ants are social insects and excellent communicators. So if you see one ant wandering inside or outside your home, there are hundreds or thousands nearby.
Where will I find ants?
The ants you see wandering around your property are worker ants. As their name suggests, worker ants do most of the work for the colony. They help maintain the nest, care for the young ants, and gather food.
Ants typically nest outdoors and will leave the nest each day to forage for food. Our trash cans, recycling bins, gardens, and outdoor eating areas provide ants with the food they are searching for. Inside, kitchens, pantry areas, and pet food provide ants with food sources to bring back to their nest.
Most ants build their main nesting site outside, but sometimes after entering our homes while looking for food, they will decide to stay and make a nest behind wall voids near leaky pipes or other sources of moisture.
How do I get rid of ants?
Don’t let ants become a regular part of your household. Instead, get rid of them with the help of the experts at Zona Pest Solutions. We are a local, family-owned business dedicated to helping people living in the East Valley to keep their properties free of ants and other unwanted pests. Trust our dedicated professionals, our eco-friendly pest control solutions, and our targeted treatments to rid your property of ants! To learn more about our year-round pest control offerings in Scottsdale and other cities, give us a call today!
How can I prevent ants in the future?
Below are some tips to help you keep ants out of your Arizona yard and home and away from your family.
- Use a silicone caulk to seal any cracks you find in your foundation or exterior walls.
- Make sure weatherstripping around windows and doors is intact.
- Ensure your lawn’s irrigation system is in good working order to prevent water from pooling in your yard and causing the soil to become too wet and attract moisture-loving ants.
- Repair leaky pipes and faucets that cause moisture buildup in your house.
- Keep outdoor eating areas free of food debris.
- Make sure trash cans and recycling bins have lids on them to keep hungry ants out.
- Inside, keep your kitchen and pantry clean and free of food debris that will provide ants with food and keep them returning to your home.