It’s that time of year again! Ants are coming out from wherever they were hiding or sleeping or whatever they do during the colder months to march along down your hallway, kitchen, bathroom, garage, etc. These pests seem like just that – a pest. But did you know some of them can do serious damage? Check out these 5 myths about ants.
MYTH: Ants come back because my home isn’t clean.
FACT: While ants do love places that have crumbs and sugary spills, that’s not the only reason they invade our homes. All pests need basically the same things to survive. Food, shelter, and above all else – water. Your home
has it all for them! Even if your house is spotless, ants would like it anyway.
MYTH: Ants aren’t a big deal – they will sort themselves out.
FACT: It really depends on what kind of ants you have. Although the damage caused by carpenter ants is not as severe as the damage caused by termites, carpenter ant nests may cause significant damage over a period of years. As the number of individuals inside a colony grows, they continue to expand through the wood, which causes further damage. People often confuse the two – and if you think you have carpenter ants, but you really have termites… those pests do millions of dollars’ worth of damage every year in the United States. Nuisance ants can contaminate and ruin food. That sounds like more than just a nuisance. Having someone come out to at least identify the ants you have is a good idea. Getting rid of them would be even better.
MYTH: I can spray at home for ants just as effectively as you can.
FACT: This also depends on what kind of ants you have. Sugar ants can be dealt with pretty easily with those little 
ant traps and making sure to wipe up sugary spills. Honey is always an attractant and difficult to clean up so get it quickly before it hardens. Wine and beer have the sugar ants want, too, so make sure those types of spills are cleaned up quickly using soap and water. But treating for carpenter ants, pavement ants, citronella ants, and odorous house ants is a little more difficult. The damage they can do and the issues that can arise from an untrained person spraying products around their house are just not worth it. Oftentimes, the cost to fix whatever problems the DIY method caused are more than what you would have spent to have them taken care of initially. And since DIY methods are spotty at best, you could deal with ants longer than you would have – and by the time a professional gets there, it could be a full-on infestation. So, no. Best to have the pros handle this one.
MYTH: I can use vinegar to keep ants away.
FACT: This one is a myth and a fact! The fact is, ants don’t like the smell of vinegar. So it’s true it will help keep them away – from where the vinegar is. And it may throw them off the scent of the sugary stuff they are searching for, but they will be back. Also, vinegar doesn’t kill ants so they will just make their way to another room in your home. Are you going to put vinegar in every room of your home? Probably not. The strong smell of vinegar doesn’t seem worth it when you could turn to a professional.
MYTH: Carpenter ants and termites can’t coexist.
FACT: This is not true at all. Termite infested (weakened) wood is actually easy for carpenter ants to take up residence. While it is true that carpenter ants can and will feed on termites, it’s not unheard of to find them both in the same home. If that’s the case, the home is under attack! Image having two different wood destroying insects in your home? Twice the damage – twice the headache – twice the COST. You can hope that the carpenter ants come across a termite drilling a hole and eat it but you can also have both pests taken care of instead. One if fool proof. The other is foolish.
As with any pest, proper identification is key when figuring out how to deal with them in your home. An Entomologist has a trained eye that is unparalleled. If you would only trust a licensed electrician with your wiring, why wouldn’t you seek out a professional for pests?
Many may think ants are just no big deal. But they can do damage, contaminate and ruin food, and become an infestation. We don’t know anyone that would call an infestation no big deal. Give Western Pest Services a call. Not only can we deal with your ants, but if you go with a TotalHome™ Protection Plan, ants are only one of the pests you won’t have to worry about.