Ants can wreak havoc on your home. These small pests can find their way into your residence through the smallest crack looking for food and water. Getting rid of an ant infestation can be challenging, but a quick Internet search would have you believe that you can DIY your way to an ant-free home.
Unfortunately, many DIY remedies (like white vinegar or cinnamon) are short-lived and do very little to eliminate ants completely. Only a professional exterminator has the knowledge and skills needed to rid your home of ants properly.
1. Ant Identification is Important
Did you know that there are over 1,000 species of ant living on the North American continent alone? Identifying the exact species that has taken up residence in your home can present a challenge if you are not well-versed in the differences between these species.
Some ant varieties can pose a risk to your health. The Pharaoh ant can transmit disease-causing pathogens. Fire ants can leave painful bites. Accurate species identification lets you assess the risk your ant infestation poses to your home and others in the area.
2. Proper Chemicals are Required
Just as there are many different species of ant that can invade your property, there are many types of chemical pesticides that can be used to eliminate these ants. Some ant species are able to resist certain pesticides, while others may be wiped out completely using the same chemical.
A professional exterminator can accurately identify the ant species in your home and the pesticide that will be most effective in its elimination. This helps to reduce the amount of time required to get your home ant free.
3. Most Ants are Hidden
The ants that are visible within your home represent only a small percentage of the colony. Thousands of ants can live in a single colony. Some ant species form cooperative super-colonies that consist of multiple ant hills. If you truly want to rid your home of the problem, you need to eliminate the ants at the source.
An exterminator will be able to use his or her specialized knowledge of ant behavior to locate the nest and eradicate all worker ants and any queens. This approach should prevent the ants from recolonizing.
Locating and eliminating a colony is not something that many homeowners have the knowledge or skill to do on their own, so you should leave these tasks in the hands of trained professionals like Be There Pest Control.
