Did you know that there are more than 12,000 species of ants? Although excessive in numbers, these are generally categorized into two, i.e., harmless and destructive.
In extreme weather conditions, i.e., Summer and Winter, the possibility of your house hosting critters also increases. Harmless or not, one sure thing is that both can affect your house’s curb appeal and property. Therefore, you must identify them and take appropriate action to protect your house, especially for destructive ants such as carpenter ants.
What Are Carpenter Ants?
Carpenter ants are known for damaging wood and houses from the inside out. Plus, they also bite, which may cause allergic reactions. It is noteworthy that these ants do not consume wood like termites. Instead, they chew and excrete it to create a path for more ants and pests.
These are generally bigger in size as compared to other types. Their size varies from 1/2″ to 5/8″. Plus, they are generally red-black, all-red, all-brown, or all-black in color.
Bear in mind that if you see a random pile of wood shaving particles (also known as “Frass”), it’s a sign of carpenter ants.
How Do They Get Inside The House?
These ants love moldy and wet wood. That means, if your house has a high level of moisture or any similar issues, it will attract ants. However, that’s not the only way. Sometimes, they also enter the house through cracks, tiny openings in the walls.
If you are searching for pest infestation, you must search the damp and moist areas such as air-conditioning units, bathtubs, sinks, or dishwashers.
How To Remove Them?
Well, the most obvious and best way to remove ants is by contacting the pest control service. The professionals have adequate knowledge, equipment, and experience to remove any kind of pest from your house safety. Not to mention, they can also offer proper treatment for every season to ensure that your home stays protected.
Nonetheless, you can take the following steps to get rid of them.
- Set Out A Bait To Find A Nest: It is advisable to create a bait for locating the nest of ants. You can use anything sweet such as jam, chocolate, or jelly as bait. Or, you can also create a mix with equal parts of baking soda and sugar. The sweetness will help attract the ants, and then you can follow them to locate the nest. If you have used baking soda, it will help kill them naturally.
- Eliminate Scent Trails: Ants generally rely on scent to get back home. So, if you wipe all the surfaces where ants travel, it will destroy their trails. It will make it easier for you to get rid of them. You can use essential oils such as tea tree, cedarwood, orange, lemon, and others. Or, you can use a vinegar solution.
- Destroy The Nest: Once you have discovered the nest, you can use boric acid to get rid of the ants. You might have to use the treatment multiple times to completely destroy the nest.
Wrapping up!
Any kind of pest can cause numerous problems, both to your property and health. That’s why you must keep your house clean, get regular pest control and take other appropriate measures to keep your home safe.
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