Marietta Homeowners' Complete Guide To Effective Ant Control

When ants invade, it can make you want to move out of your home. Often, ants enter homes by the thousands. It can feel like you're in a horror movie when this happens. They may be all over the floors, counters, walls, ceilings, and clumped in an organic mass. If you've stepped into an ant nightmare like this, you can immediately reach out to ProCare Pest Services for Marietta pest control by jumping to our contact page. But, whether you need urgent assistance or not, you'll find some helpful tips in this article. Join us as we look at ant pests in Marietta, common ant problems, six effective ant-prevention tips, and how to keep ants away for good. How does that sound? Great! Let's get into it. 

Types Of Ants That Commonly Invade Marietta Homes

There are several common pest ants in Marietta, Georgia. Each has its own food and habitat preferences. It is helpful to understand how ants behave.

• Argentine Ants create super colonies. When these are the pest ants you're dealing with, you have to be cautious with your ant control. An Argentine ant colony has multiple queens and budding may occur. Budding is when one colony turns into two or more. Worker ants of this species are about 1/8 of an inch long and light or dark brown.
• Crazy ant colonies tend to be small with lots of queens, but you can have many colonies enter your yard simultaneously. The workers are about 1/8 of an inch in length and often swarm together for protection. If you see a mass that looks like it came from outer space, you're probably dealing with crazy ants. They can also be so numerous that they cover your entire yard like a blanket. When they find their way into your home, they can cause outlets to trip or the power to go out. They're attracted to outlets and power boxes and can get into electronics, appliances, and automobiles.
• Thief Ants are tiny and numerous, just like crazy ants, but workers are much smaller at only 1/32 of an inch long. They are yellowish or brown and look like tiny, little specks. They're attracted to oily foods. When you notice these ants, clean the sides of your oven and your countertops and see what happens. You might not have an ant problem the next day.
• Pavement ants are mostly outdoor ants, but they can get inside and be a nuisance. They bring dirt in with them and use it to establish a habitat for their nests. These ants are 3/16 of an inch long and are typically black.  
• Odorous house ants are dark brown or black. When you crush them, they will emit a rotten coconut small. While not the only ants that smell bad when you crush them, they have earned the name.
• Pharaoh ants are dirty ants. When it comes to making you sick, no other ant can compete. These ants get into the open wounds of dogs, cats, livestock, and wildlife. They are considered a disease risk.
• Fire ants sting. In most cases, fire ant stings will only result in itchy wounds with blisters at the centers, but some individuals are allergic to fire ants and may have an allergic reaction. A severe reaction can be life-threatening.
• Black carpenter ants are large black ants. Workers are between 1/4 and 1/2 of an inch in length. Some carpenter ant species have workers as large as 5/8 of an inch. It is not good to find black carpenter ants in your home. These ants tunnel in wood and can damage your home. They are the only ants on our list that do this.

We've touched on what ant pests are common in Marietta and a few of the ways they can present problems, but there is more you should know. Let's take a moment to discuss how concerned you should be when you see ants all over the place.