You have tried every DIY solution to no avail: vinegar, house cleaning spray, and soap and water. Nothing works. The trail of ants maintains a steady stream from the base of your cabinet to the counter. Within minutes, scraps of crackers and cheese become the ants’ next target.
If this is your story, you wouldn’t be alone. Ants are ranked the number one nuisance pest in the United States by the National Pest Management Association, with good reason. But no ant is a welcome site inside your McKinney home.
McKinney Ants
There are thousands of species of ants that live across the United States. But there are a few common ant species in McKinney that you may come across inside your home: sugar ants, fire ants, and carpenter ants.
Sugar ants are a group of ants known for their affinity for sweets. But that’s not all they eat. Sugar ants enjoy grease, carbohydrates, meats, and dairy as well. They invade your home in search of food or moisture. But in their search, they can contaminate your food.
While fire ants didn’t originate in the United States, they have certainly made themselves at home, spreading throughout several regions of the country. These red and black colored ants nest in mounds above ground using soft soil. When fire ants or their homes are disturbed, the movement triggers them to sting. The stings can cause an allergic reaction in those who are sensitive to the ant venom.
Carpenter ants are the most dangerous ants to have in your home. Like termites, carpenter ants tunnel through wood, not to eat the wood, but to create nests inside. Without professional help, a carpenter ant invasion could result in damage to the structural integrity of your home and costly repairs.
What Ants Really Like
Ants really like food, and they aren’t afraid to work hard to get it. They have incredibly powerful odor receptors that can locate food from a great distance. When they find it, ants can signal to their colony that they’ve found food. The kitchen is one of their favorite rooms in the house because of all the potential food sources.
Another reason that ants will head indoors is water sources. In times of drought or flood, ants will either look for water inside or escape the water outside. When ants are looking for water inside your home, they will congregate in areas where there is extra moisture like kitchens and bathrooms. Ants can enter through the tiniest of cracks and holes in walls, doors, or window screens.
Tips to Keep Ants Out of Your McKinney Home
Due to their tiny size, ants can prove difficult to prevent. But with prevention tips from Adams Exterminating Company, you can reduce the risk of attracting ants inside your McKinney home.
- Clean it up! To help prevent ants, channel your inner clean freak. Tidy the kitchen after every meal. Wipe the counters thoroughly. Sweep, mop, and vacuum regularly. Avoid leaving dirty dishes in the dishwasher, on the counter, or in the sink. Cycle that dirty laundry through the wash and dry cycles to avoid ants inhabiting your favorite shirts or bath towels.
- Seal it up! The trash can is a prime spot for ants. Storing garbage and recycling items in sealed containers and regularly emptying the receptacles can help reduce ants. Sealing food items in airtight containers will keep ants from contaminating your food sources and floating around in your breakfast pancakes.
- Dry it up! Since ants love moisture, keeping your home as moisture-free as possible might dissuade ants from setting up shop. Carpenter ants, especially, like wood with excess moisture. Patrol and repair any leaks in your home. Try a dehumidifier in those humid rooms in the house and ventilate spaces well.
- Trim it up! Keeping the immediate area around the outside of your home free of plants, shrubs, or trees can help tip you off to the presence of ants. Being able to see where they are coming from can help you identify the breach and fix it up quickly with a call to Adams Exterminating Company.
When you find ants in your McKinney home, skip the stress and call the professionals at Adams Exterminating Company.