Like many parts of California, Manteca enjoys a warm, comfortable climate all year round. Unfortunately, this climate also allows ants to stay active for much of the year in yards, and from those yards, it’s only a matter of time before they make their way indoors.
Ants can keep working all year long at trying to find ways into your home, where food sources and warmth are readily available.
Signs Of An Ant Infestation
You might see ants particularly in the kitchen or pantries, where food can be salvaged and brought back to their colonies. Or, you might see the signs that ants leave behind, chew marks in wooden furniture or wall panels, dead carcasses, or dirt tracked in from outdoor mounds. Often, if you’re noticing big groups or lines of ants crawling around, it means that it’s already too late to try preventative measures. Once ants have made it inside, they can quickly populate and turn into a full-blown infestation.
Different ants cause different problems, too:
- Carpenter ants are dark brown or black and larger than most other home-infesting ants; they can cause serious property damage. They get their name from their constant need to eat and gather wood, meaning they will gnaw through a home’s foundation, floors, and walls.
- Fire ants are often bright red. These ants can cause harm because they are known to bite and attack in groups. Their stinging pincers can cause some serious wounds to people, and they can be a menace for pets who don’t know to leave them alone.
- Pavement ants are often mistaken for carpenter ants because of their darker color; they are actually much smaller and have only two body segments as opposed to the normal three. They are often found in driveways or along sidewalks and are serious pests because they can eat almost anything, meaning they can thrive outside of a home for seasons and then move indoors when temperatures drop.
All ants can pose health risks since they are traffickers of diseases and parasites. These insects can also worsen allergy symptoms or respiratory conditions like asthma since they carry dander and dust from outside. Having them in the home means that their crawling around can contaminate cooking surfaces and food sources.
What Can You Do?
The biggest responsibility for a homeowner is to take preventative measures to keep ants out in the first place. Some important steps to take include:
- Seal up cracks in walls and floors. Insects can make it in through the tiniest holes or access points in a structure.
- Clean regularly, particularly by making sure food isn’t left around. Having easy access to crumbs and open food containers is a big attractant for ants to come inside.
- Replace damaged floorboards, wall panels, and windows. These areas could quickly turn into an entrance for insects, so keeping a house in tip-top shape is ideal for limiting access points.
Don’t Go It Alone
If ants do find their way inside, it’s best to get a professional on the case. Call the experts at Next Generation Pest Control at the first sign of an infestation. We can perform inspections any time of the year and implement the right solutions for the actual problem. Just as certain pests cause different issues, they also require different solutions. And our methods are proven to be safe and environmentally friendly.
Our crews won’t just eliminate the problem, they’ll figure out all the places ants might have gotten into the home and what might be attracting them, so you can rest easy about the future. Contact Manteca’s ant elimination pros here at Generation Pest Control for more information.
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