One of the most common invaders of homes, there’s only one pest that infests your house by the thousands, eats just about anything, and crawls across your counter in a perfectly straight line. If you guessed we’re talking about ants, congratulations – you got it! Many people think ants are nothing to worry about, but that’s a bit of a misconception. Ants are mostly just a nuisance, but there are a few species in our area that can spread disease, destroy property, and even sting. Let’s talk about a few of the biggies.
Common Ant Types
Carpenter Ants
Of all the ants on this list, carpenter ants are the only ones that pose a serious threat to your property. These large black ants bore through the wood to make their nests and can damage similar to that of termites in both quality and severity. If left untreated, they’ll spread throughout your home, carving complex colonies in its frame and support system. Carpenter ants may eventually do so much damage they impact the structural integrity of your house.
Odorous House Ants
Odorous house ants live up to their name because they often come into our houses, and they release a foul, rotten coconut odor when crushed. These ants are mostly annoying because they don’t sting or destroy property, but they can still contaminate food stores by crawling into them with their dirty feet.
Pavement Ants
As their name suggests, pavement ants like to nest in – you guessed it – cracks in the pavement. Of course, they’ll also take up residence anywhere else that’s convenient: in between bricks with loose mortar, underneath patio stones, pretty much anywhere that can keep them warm and dry. Pavement ants can and sometimes do sting. But unlike their extremely aggressive stinging counterparts down south, fire ants, pavement ants are docile and unlikely to sting unless seriously provoked.
Pharaoh Ants
Endemic throughout the world, pharaoh ants are common here in Nassau County as well. Pharaoh ants are a warm-weather species, meaning outside of the tropical latitudes; they basically have to nest indoors. This is unfortunate because pharaoh ants are known or suspected to spread quite a few serious diseases, including salmonella, strep, staph, and botulism.
Ant Prevention Tips
With all the stinging and wood cutting and germ spreading going on, it’s safe to say you don’t want ants. The good thing is there are some measures you can take to prevent them:
- Cover garbage and food stores to prevent smells from attracting ants
- Patch damage in your home’s exterior to cut off ant entry points
- Make sure all gaps underneath doors and windowsills are sealed with weatherstripping
- If you see a line of ants, spray it with vinegar to disrupt the pheromone trail leading them to their food source
- Specifically for carpenter ants, remove any damaged or decayed wood (these ants prefer rotten wood because it’s easier to carve)
The unfortunate fact is that ants are so small they can often slip around even the toughest prevention measures. What’s worse, some species in Nassau County, NY, pretty much can’t make it through the harsh New York winters without human help – so they have no choice but to figure out a way inside. Luckily, if you find ants in your plants, help is just a click or call away!
Here at Parkway Pest Services, we’ve got all the experience and tools to send those pesky ants packing. Our pest control programs don’t just eliminate ants, but our certified technicians will also work with you to address the root of the problem and help you come up with solutions to keep the ants gone for good. So call us at (888) 682-8512, text us at (800) 220-7275, or visit our contact page at Parkway Pest Services today to set up your appointment.