When ants live outside, far away from people, they find their food sources in nature, but when ants live in our backyards, they often find the reliable food sources they are looking for in our kitchens. Once ants find a way inside, they will keep returning, day after day and year after year.
The best way to stop ants in Elizabeth City from moving in and out of your home is to partner with an Elizabeth City pest control professional. Here at Albemarle Termite & Pest Control, we provide effective ant control to get ants out and keep them out!
Identifying The Different Ants That Live In Elizabeth City
North Carolina is home to many species of ants, those that regularly invade Elizabeth City properties include acrobat ants, Argentine ants, carpenter ants, fire ants, odorous house ants, and pavement ants.
To help you have a general idea of the ants on your property, we have devised a brief description of each species' most identifying features:
- Acrobat ants: They hold their heart-shaped abdomens above their heads when threatened or disturbed.
- Argentine ants: These small, shiny black or brown ants travel together in large groups, creating wide hard-to-miss trails. When crushed, Argentine ants produce a musty odor.
- Carpenter ants: They are the largest ants to invade structures in the United States. Their claim to fame is creating nesting inside trees and pieces of wood.
- Fire ants: These reddish-brown ants are tiny but mighty. Fire ants are aggressive, attack in large groups, and deliver painful venom-filled stings.
- Odorous house ants: They are common invaders of our homes and prefer to feed on sweets. When crushed, they produce a rotten coconut-like smell.
- Pavement ants: Small black ants, pavement ants nest in the soil found next to foundations and in the cracks of pavement and sidewalks.
The best way to identify the ants on your property is with the help of an experienced pest professional. Call today to schedule a free inspection of your home.
Rooting Ants Out Of Their Many Hiding Places
Did you know that the few ants you see trailing through your home are most likely just the tip of the iceberg? The truth is there could be hundreds more nesting behind your home's walls.
Most species of ants maintain multiple nesting sites. To root out ants from their hiding spots, you first need to know where they like to nest. Ants like to nest near food and water sources, so walls voids, crawl spaces, and spaces around windows and doors are common sites. Other places to check for nesting sites include spaces under rugs, the soil in potted plants, and spaces within outlets and appliances.
If you need help finding where ants are nesting in your Elizabeth City home, our professionals at Albemarle Termite & Pest Control can help. Our home pest control professionals will quickly locate all the ants and nesting sites in your home.
The Easiest Way To Deter Any Kind Of Ant Inside Your Home
Ants in Elizabeth City have become common household pests because they learned how easily our homes meet their basic needs over time. The best way to deter ant activity is to remove their easy access to food and water, the two most important things.
To eliminate food sources, it is important to regularly vacuum your home to remove crumbs and wipe down surfaces to remove sticky spills. Store your family's pantry items in hard-sided containers with locking lids and put perishable items in the refrigerator. Don't let pet food sit out for long periods; after your pets finish eating, pick up the food.
It is also important to regularly remove trash from your home and sanitize trash cans. Store trash in outdoor lidded containers until trash pick-up day and keep them well away from your home.
Ants are well known to be attracted to areas of moisture. Quickly repair your home's leaky pipes, faucets, and air-conditioners. Make sure your home is well-ventilated and use dehumidifiers to reduce humidity levels.
Regularly check weather-stripping around windows and doors to ensure rainwater doesn't seep into your home's walls- carpenter ants love to nest in pieces of structural wood in our homes damaged by water.
Why You Should Consider Professional Ant Control?
There are enough DIY ant control products at big box stores to make you think you can take care of an ant infestation in Elizabeth City on your own. But professional pest control for ants is the best way to eliminate ants from your Elizabeth City home.
At Albemarle Termite & Pest Control, our professionals will get to the root of your ant infestation. They will inspect your property, locate all the entry points and nesting sites, and perform appropriate treatments to eliminate the ants. Then by scheduling recurring pest control visits with us, the ants won't get a chance to return.
In the long-run professional pest control services will save you money and time and provide you with the safest and most effective products. To get rid of ants from your property, call Albemarle Termite & Pest Control today to get started and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Elizabeth City.