When it comes to insect infestations in the home, there are few things that can be as annoying as ant infestations. However, these infestations happen for a number of reasons and, often times, conventional wisdom such as keeping the house as clean as possible does little to stem the tide. Sometimes, if a queen has set up her colony near the house, ants will simply enter the home to scavenge for food and to feed their young. In these cases, an ant exterminator in Tacoma may need to be called in.
Black Ants
One of the most important things is understanding the type of ant problem a particular home has. Different types of ants will require different types of treatment. For example, tiny black ants, which are perhaps the most common, are simply entering the home to look for sugar, starches, and protein. An effective way to get rid of these ants without the services of an ant exterminator in Tacoma is to pay attention to the path the ants take from the outside of the home to a particular food source.
Wiping down the pathway with a disinfectant will remove the scent of ants that have traveled that path before, and it will leave the remaining ants confused. In addition, sealing areas where ants are entering the home can stop this type of infestation. Lastly, treating the colony at the source with insecticides can help significantly reduce the problem with ants getting into the home.
Dealing with Carpenter Ants
For carpenter ants, the approach is going to be a bit different. Carpenter ants tend to live in wood, much like termites. To a lesser degree, carpenter ants can cause damage to the wood they are nesting in. To treat this particular problem, special insecticides will need to be used. In many cases, the wood they are nesting in, which is typically already damaged because carpenter ants nest in moist rotting wood environments, will need to be replaced.
These are only a couple of examples of potential treatments for the infestations of ants in your home. However, if you’ve tried various methods but none of them have worked and you’re not entirely sure how to proceed next, the services of a dedicated ant exterminator in Tacoma may be the right way to go.
