A Practical Guide To All Things Ant Control In Baltimore

Ants can cause problems wherever they go. They can contaminate your food, spread disease, and destroy your home. In this guide, you'll learn how to identify an ant infestation, how ants can become a significant headache, and why prevention is the best ant control measure you can take. You will learn a bit of insight into a local, family-owned, veteran-owned, and operated Baltimore pest control company: ATC Pest Control. 

How To Identify An Ant Infestation In Your Home

Ants typically live outside, in decaying plants, piles of leaves, and in soil. However, they'll forage up to 30 feet from their colonies to find food sources. If you only see one ant on your counter, you're probably ok if you squish it and wipe down the surfaces it may have touched; ants lay down a pheromone trail to new food sources so other workers in the colony can find it. 

However, if you see more than one ant, especially if they're marching in a straight line, you might have an ant infestation. Other signs you might have an ant infestation include:

• Ant hills outside your home – They can be large and obvious or small and more spread out.
• Ants crawling on your food – If you leave food out, ants may swarm it, carrying it back to their colonies in one of their two stomachs. 
• Ants living in your trees – Ants have been known to live in dead trees or branches. 
• Ant wings on window ledges and near doors – Every summer, when the humidity is high, young queens and kings fly out of the colony to start their own. Once they've found a suitable place, the queen will begin laying eggs, primarily to breed workers, which are all female. Male drones are hatched to mate with the queen, after which they die.

If you see any signs of an ant infestation, you need professional ant control in Baltimore. At ATC Pest Control, we take our duties very seriously. We don't just treat the infestation; we provide peace of mind.

How Little Ants Can Become A Big Problem

Some common ant species in Baltimore include pavement ants, odorous house ants, and carpenter ants. 

Pavement ants are 1/8 inch long, black to brown, and make their colonies under cracks in the pavement. They're also known to build colonies inside homes. Pavement ants aren't picky about where they walk — they'll stroll through sewage, feces, and carrion, picking up all pathogens along the way. They can contaminate your food just by walking on it. 

Odorous house ants are 1/16 to 1/8 inch long, brown or black, and get their name from the rotten coconut odor they emit when you squash them. They pose the same dangers as pavement ants, contaminating your food and food preparation areas.

Carpenter ants are 5/8 inch long and red, black, or a combination. They pose the same contamination risks to your food. But that's not their primary danger. Carpenter ants get their name because they tunnel through wood to create their colonies. They'll move into your home and chew through wall joists, floorboards, subflooring, and support beams. 

If you notice signs of an infestation, you need to get rid of carpenter ants quickly. Carpenter ants can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage, which likely isn't covered by your homeowner's insurance. 

Prevention Is Critical To Successful Ant Control

There are several ant prevention tips you can take to keep ants from making your house their home, including:

• Keep your kitchen clean. Wash dishes promptly after use, clean your counters regularly, take out the trash nightly, and sweep and mop often.
• Store food in airtight containers or the refrigerator. If ants can't access food in your house, they will likely leave.
• Keep tight-fitting lids on your outdoor garbage cans. Ants may forage there, then move into your home. 
• Frequently bring in fruits and vegetables from your garden.
• Partner with ATC Pest Control for excellent ant control in your house. 

These ant prevention tips may take care of a few ants, but the best way to get rid of ants is with ATC Pest Control.

Let ATC Pest Control Help With Your Ant Problem

ATC Pest Control offers professional ant control solutions while treating you like a member of our family. We'll make sure we resolve your issues in the safest, most effective way possible to keep our family healthy. We've been working in the home pest control industry since 2008. When quality counts, COUNT ON US! Contact us today for a free estimate.