When you think of the most common pests, ants are probably one of the first species that comes to mind. With as many ant species as there are in the world, it can feel like they are everywhere. You see them when you go in the backyard, at the park, on the sidewalk, and sometimes even in your home.
One of the most common ant species that you are most likely to see around Elizabeth City is the pavement ant. These ants are dark brown to black and around 1/8 inch in size. They get their name because they prefer to make their nests in, around, or under cracks in the pavement. They are also known to infest buildings, making their nests in walls, insulation, under floors, and ground-level masonry.
Pavement ants will eat almost anything, including other insects, seeds, bread, meat, and other food products. They usually forage for food in trails, traveling distances of 30 feet, and climbing walls that are in their way.
The Issues With Pavement Ants
Pavement ants don’t bite or sting. They aren’t considered a threat to people and, on their own, don’t pose any health concerns. They can, however, contaminate food and other surfaces with the bacteria they carry on their legs and bodies. The issue with pavement ants comes when they infest your home.
When pavement ants take over, they do so in large numbers. A large colony of pavement ants can number in the tens of thousands, and they quickly spread to multiple nests in the same area. While they may not bite, having this many ants in your home can make a living there very uncomfortable.
How To Prevent Pavement Ants
Whether they are dangerous or not, no one wants ants in their home, and certainly not ant colonies of more than 10,000. Because of their size, numbers, and multiple colonies, a pavement ant infestation can be hard to handle once it occurs.
The best way to avoid a pavement ant issue is to prevent them from coming into your home to begin with. The best way to do this is to eliminate the reasons they come inside. For pavement ants, this generally means food and shelter. Here are a few tips that focus on preventing pavement ants around your home and property:
- Seal cracks in your driveway and sidewalks.
- Repair cracks in your home’s foundation and exterior walls.
- Repair or replace torn screens and weatherstripping.
- Leave a gap between your home and any organic material like soil or mulch.
- Store garbage cans away from your home, clean them frequently, and make sure they seal properly.
- Keep your home clean by vacuuming floors, wiping down counters, and doing your dishes regularly.
- Store food in your refrigerator or containers with airtight lids.
- Denying these pests food, shelter, and easy access to your home will help keep your home pavement ant-free and avoid the headaches these pests can cause.
Get Professional Help
If you find yourself with a pavement ant infestation, don’t try to handle it yourself. Instead, call us today. At Albemarle Termite and Pest Control, our highly trained exterminators can get to the source of your pavement ant problem and eliminate all the colonies in your home and yard.
If you aren’t dealing with a pavement ant problem right now but want to make sure they aren’t an issue in the future, we can help with that also. We can create a home pest control plan that keeps pavement ants and other potential invaders out of your home permanently, so you don’t have to worry about the issues they may cause for you and your family.