Dealing with Ant Infestations: Causes, Risks, and Solutions

Ants are the most common insect found in most Round Rock households. While ants seem harmless, an ant infestation may badly affect your health and everyday life. The risk increases further with certain species of ants, like fire ants and carpenter ants.

Nonetheless, you can employ several methods to eliminate ants in your house. And if you want to save time and effort, you can call experts like Stride Pest Control Services. They can remove ants from your home and restore the peace in your life.

Understanding the risks of ant infestation

Many people think that ants are entire, while ants pose many threats to your house and health. Although some species do more harm than others, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Here are some common risks of an infestation.

  • Some ant species, like carpenter ants, can burrow through the woods and cause damage to wooden structures in your house.
  • Ants may carry bacteria, allergens, and pathogens that can spread to your food sources and living space and make you sick.
  • Ants get attracted to electrical appliances and can chew through insulation on electrical wires to cause electrical issues that may sometimes lead to fire.
  • Some ants, like Argentine ants, can damage plants and crops, while others can disturb the soil structure and harm gardens and agricultural lands.
  • Ants are good food sources for other insects, so an ant infestation may sometimes lure other pests to your house.

The reasons why you may have ant problems 

While there may be many reasons why your house attracts ants, the following are some of the most common ones.

  • You may be leaving food outside. And since ants are good at finding food sources, your house becomes an easy target for them. Therefore, you will mostly find an ant infestation in kitchens or places with food residues.
  • Greasy surfaces of the kitchen and leftover food residues can also quickly attract the ants.
  • Sticky garbage bins are an easy food source for ants. Therefore, you should regularly wash your garbage bins and food jars or cans before you toss them into bins.
  • Ants also need water to survive, which is why they are often found near leaky pipes and faucets.
  • Decaying wood is also a good food source for species like carpenter ants, which can build nests from it.

Exploring the ways to eliminate ants in your house

There are several ways to eliminate ants in your house, some of them are as follows:-

  • Use a commercial indoor ant bait to lure ants and eliminate their colonies.
  • To eliminate ants, you can also use non-synthetic chemical compounds like vinegar, borax, herbs and spices, coffee grounds, and citrus peels.
  • You can spray pesticides outside your house to remove ants and other pests.
  • Keep your surroundings sanitized and clean to avoid all kinds of pests.
  • The best way to get rid of ants or other pests is to hire a professional pest controller.