Carpenter & Fire Ants Present Unique Threats To Homes

Ants are social insects, so when a few of these pests find their way inside your home, many more are sure to follow. Ants are particularly attracted to sugar, although they also need ready access to water in order to thrive. Naturally, the kitchen is the area of the house that’s most likely to attract ants from the outdoors. Uncovered food in pantries and even in refrigerators prove more than sufficiently enticing for a hungry ant colony. Garbage cans and even exposed pet food are often enough to pique an ant’s interest from even relatively great distance.

There are over twelve thousand species of ant around the world, and even though many are harmless, there are a few species native to North America that can become particularly unwelcome house guests. Among these troublesome pests are the fire ant and carpenter ant, the latter of which can burrow into walls, ceilings, and foundations which can weaken structural supports and necessitate costly repairs.

In the wild, carpenter ants will nest in tree trunks and piles of wet and decaying wood. Their perpetual search for food and water will sometimes bring them into contact with human habitations. Homeowners should take special care to eliminate any areas around the home where moisture tends to collect, particularly in bathrooms and basements. Even a leaky pipe or collected rainwater may be sufficient to attract carpenter ants to your property.

Carpenter ants

Carpenter ants are relatively large in size and are generally black in color. If you spot these insects wandering around your home, are suspect that they have caused damage, contact your local pest control professional right away.

Fire ants

Much like carpenter ants, fire ants are drawn to sugar and water, but while carpenter ants can pose a threat to the property, fire ants can occasionally pose a threat directly to your person. It’s especially important to maintain a thorough fire ant control regimen if you have young children or pets, as idle curiosity may often compel them to start digging around near a fire ant mound. Perceived threats to the mound will cause these pests to swarm, and you’ve no doubt experienced first-hand the painful defense mechanism these pests can employ when their territory is under attack.

It may be tempting to try to remedy an ant infestation on your own, however, it’s much more cost-effective and efficient in the long run to hire a pest control professional to evaluate and eliminate the infestation in a timely manner. Cantu Pest & Termite is proud to be the first company in Texas to offer a Cantu Green Service to our customers in search of a more prevention-based solution to their pest removal and ongoing pest management needs while minimizing the use of pesticides.

If ants or other pests have made unwanted appearances around your home or business, call Cantu Pest & Termite to get in touch with our Dallas pest control professionals and schedule an appointment today with one of our friendly, experienced pest control experts.