Say Good Riddance To Ants In Your Baltimore Home

Seeing ants in your yard is relatively common, but when they make their way into your home, it can be cause for alarm. These unwanted insects can create tons of problems and make it harder for you to enjoy your home in comfort. 

Though professional pest control in Baltimore can help keep your home free and clear of these insects, you still need to know when to schedule an appointment. Let's take a look at some key facts about ants and how to tell if it's time to call a pest control technician.

One Ant Usually Means More

Ants live in colonies and typically search for food near their nests. When food is abundant outdoors, they'll normally stay there. But if food becomes scarce, they'll move farther away and often end up indoors. 

You'll only see one or two ants around the area when they're scouting for food. But this is still cause for concern because if one ant finds a way into your house, more will likely follow, resulting in a full-blown ant infestation. That one scout ant entering your home will report their findings to the colony. If they find a steady supply of food and water in your house, the colony will send more ants to obtain supplies. That's why contacting a pest control specialist is essential to prevent infestations.

Ants In The Home Can Create Many Problems

Finding any ant species around your home, whether large carpenter ants or little black ants, can put you at risk of many problems.

These are a few ways that ants in Baltimore can negatively impact your home:

• An increased risk of bites: Some species of ants may bite you if they feel threatened. Though their bites are not typically dangerous, they can result in pain and discomfort until the injured site heals.

• Food contamination: Many ants gravitate to the food you keep in your home. Once they find food, they can contaminate it as they get into food containers and packages. 

• Disease introduction: Some species of ants can spread diseases like salmonellosis, staphylococcus, clostridium, and streptococcus. These diseases can make you and your loved ones ill and require professional medical treatment.

• Property damage: Some species of ants, like carpenter ants, can physically damage your home as they burrow into wooden furniture and structural supports. 

You can easily prevent these types of damage and problems with routine professional ant control services in Baltimore. If you stay on top of treating your property, you can keep your loved ones and your home safe.

Five Useful Ant Prevention Techniques

While professional treatments are the best way to get rid of ants, you can still do some things to keep ants away from your home.

Here are a few proven prevention tips to help you keep ants from infesting your house:

1. Keep your kitchen and trash area clean, and pick up any messes as soon as you find them.

2. Seal cracks and gaps in your home's exterior to keep ants from entering through them.

3. Store food in airtight containers when possible. 

4. Fix moisture issues like leaking pipes or dripping faucets immediately.

5. Keep tree branches and vegetation away from your home and trim any excess growth as needed.

These tips will help you keep your home free of ants year-round.

Call Us For All Your Ant Control Needs

If you think you have an ant problem on your property, don't try to deal with it on your own. Instead, reach out to the team at ATC Pest Control. Our technicians provide high-quality ant pest control services to eliminate ants in your house and keep them from returning. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Baltimore.