Finding any pests in your home can cause quite a headache. It is common to find little black ants in your home, even in the long winter months. These ants are foraging for food and looking for shelter during the winter. Living outside in the cold is just no longer acceptable to them. Your home is looking pretty cozy and if they are lucky, it's full of food. Ants will spend time scoping out your home for food sources. Once they find easy access, they will begin to move their colony into your home.
Ants will build their colony out of sight and only come out to forage for food. That is when you will most likely spot them on a trip to your kitchen. Ants are not very picky about what they eat. Any available source of food in your home is good for them. This can be anything from leftover Christmas candy, hidden in your kid’s dresser to trash waiting to be taken outside. Even the smallest of crumbs can work for them. It is very important to keep food sealed in airtight containers. Trash should be taken out promptly and any messes or spills should be cleaned up as soon as possible.
There are two common kinds of ants you will find in your home:
Carpenter Ants: These ants are usually a red black color. They are larger ants that use wood to build tunnels for their colonies. They enjoy wet or damp wood sources. They are an added threat because they can damage the wooden structure of your home.
Pavement Ants: They are a dark brown to black color. They get their name from building their nest in the cracks in pavement. They forage for food up to 30 feet and they will eat almost anything.
The best way to prevent these ants from invading your home is to make sure that the exterior of your home is sealed up tight. This means sealing up any cracks or gaps you find. These cracks can be around the foundation, windows, doors, venting, wiring and piping. The best way to keep ants away is to never let them in. Also, sealing up any food sources, including trash and pet food, will help keep them from foraging in your home.
If you find you already have an ant infestation in your home, it is best to call a professional pest exterminator to help you eliminate the current problem and work with you to set up a year round pest prevention plan. Having a year round pest prevention plan in place can really help you to keep your home pest free and your family happy and safe.