Here in Georgia, we benefit from a warm, comfortable climate all year long. However, with these favorable temperatures comes year-round ant problems. In Georgia, the most common ants in the region include Argentine ants, pharaoh ants, pavement ants, fire ants, carpenter ants, and odorous house ants.
All of these critters, including pavement ants, won’t mind making your home their home, and once they’ve gotten inside, they can be tricky to eliminate. Here’s what you need to know about getting rid of ants in your Lawrenceville home or property.
Why Are Ant Infestations Hard To Control?
At first glance, ants may seem like harmless pests, but they can cause some serious damage. Carpenter ants, who love to make their colonies in wood, can cause structural damage, while pharaoh ants may carry diseases, and fire ants aren’t afraid to attack.
While some homeowners may attempt to use OTC ant sprays or traps to eliminate an infestation, these tricks rarely do the job effectively. A colony of ants can hold hundreds of thousands of individuals. Most ant traps cannot get rid of the entire colony, and some OTC sprays can contain harmful fumes or chemicals.
Finding the location of the colony can be another barrier. Some colonies may have a home base hidden under a tree stump or woodpile; however, if they find your home (and food) to their liking, they may expand that home base to a damp area of your house. The locations in your home where ants may create satellite nests include under your floor, behind your walls, or crevices in your basement, kitchen, or bathroom.
Fire ants tend to favor electrical equipment, while carpenter ants make their nests inside structural wood.
How To Prevent Future Ant Infestations In Lawrenceville
Even with professional ant control services, ant infestations can come back, but there are a few steps you can take to prevent them in the future:
- Don’t leave leftover food out in your home or outside, including uneaten pet food.
- Keep your food in airtight containers, preferably in the refrigerator, and never on the counter.
- Make sure you keep lids on your trash cans, compost bins, and recycling bins.
- Regularly sweep up crumbs or food debris that may have fallen on your carpet or floor.
- Get rid of unnecessary moisture that may build up in your gutters or leaky pipes.
- Replace water-damaged wood on your property.
- Repair any cracks or crevices that ants could use to gain access to your home.
- Get rid of wood and brush piles, tree stumps, or leaf piles on your property that ants could use to build a nest.
While these preventative tips may not be able to prevent an infestation completely, if you pair them with professional pest control from ProCare Pest Services, your Lawrenceville home will be ant-free!
Ant Control With ProCare Pest Services
Once you see a couple of ants, you’re likely to find even more in your home as time goes on. The size of an ant colony will only grow the longer you leave it untreated, so it’s a good idea to contact a residential and commercial pest professional like ProCare Pest Services.
Our ant control process begins with figuring out what you’ve been seeing and customizing our ant treatment to fit your home’s specific needs. From there, we’ll begin treatment, which usually starts with laying out ant traps as well as a granule product. We will also find the source (or sources) of the infestation.
Our goal is not only to eliminate the ants inside your home but also to gain access to the anthill so that we can prevent more from making their way inside. We often apply granule products that help eliminate the entire colony rather than just hot spots or problem areas in your home.
Depending on the severity of the problem, you can always schedule follow-up visits if needed.
If you suspect that you may have an ant infestation in your Lawrenceville home, reach out to us today to learn more about our year-round pest control in Lawrenceville!