Say Good Riddance To Ants In Your Pasadena Home

There are some people, places, and things we like to keep in our past. Perhaps you had a frustrating experience at a location and couldn't wait to transfer to a new city. Maybe you had a co-worker or supervisor that gave you tremendous grief, and you were glad to leave that job. You may have had a clunker for a car, and you remember when you sold it and purchased a better vehicle. Whatever the case, we all have memories we don't want to relive, and the same can be true regarding pests. 

When ants invade your home, you want them out; you want them relegated to the past. For over 20 years, Accutech Pest Management has provided ant control in Pasadena and surrounding areas. We are a family-owned, local company with highly-trained technicians and top-notch customer service. Because we all want quick, responsive service when ants and other pests invade our homes, we answer our phones 24/7 and respond to your needs. We back up our contracted pest control services with a customer satisfaction guarantee. 

You probably found this article because ants are along your kitchen baseboards, gathering around garbage cans or running across countertops. Please keep reading to learn why just a few ants may signal an infestation, the problems they can cause, and get some tips to prevent a future ant infestation.

Ants surround our homes and are a necessary part of the ecosystem. These tiny creatures aerate the soil, eat dead plant and animal matter, and fertilize dirt with their feces. Ants also hunt termites, one pest no one wants inside their homes.

Although we need ants outside our homes, we do not need or want them inside our houses for the following reasons: 

• Ants are a nuisance

• Ants contaminate surfaces

• Ants can cause health problems

• Ants can cause property damage

While some of these reasons are obvious, others need explanation.

Ants are a problem when they enter a house. They crawl over people, pets, and objects as they move throughout the house for food and water. The sensation of their six legs traveling across your body makes you feel itchy and icky.

Furthermore, ants in the house are embarrassing. No one wants to enjoy dinner with guests as ants walk across the table. We are appalled when a visitor has to flick ant off clothing while sitting on the couch. A common ant species in Maryland, the odorous house ant, adds to the nuisance factor by releasing a rotten coconut smell when crushed. If for no other reason, we want ants to be gone because they embarrass us.

As if embarrassment weren't enough, ants do not need to be inside homes because they contaminate surfaces. At the end of each of their six feet are claws. These appendages enable ants to scale vertical masonry walls and climb over surfaces. Ants do not discriminate where they travel and forage, and since dead insects and plant matter are often in unsanitary locations, ants move through those areas. As they crawl over polluted surfaces, bacteria stick to their claws. When they enter a Pasadena home, the bacterium transfers and contaminates surfaces. For this reason, you must wash exposed fruits and clean countertops and other items when ants are inside your house. 

Fortunately, most ants do not spread diseases throughout a home like cockroaches unless you have pharaoh ants. These pale yellowish ants with darker abdomens are known to spread salmonellosis, staphylococcus, clostridium, and streptococcus, particularly in medical facilities where they walk over open wounds and infiltrate IVs. 

Although other ant species do not transmit disease, many will bite when threatened. Most bites produce a temporary stinging sensation like a bee sting and have no long-lasting repercussions. Acrobat ants, another species in many Pasadena homes, bite when disturbed. 

Carpenter ants are another ant species in our area. As their name suggests, these ants infiltrate damp wood to create nests. Unlike termites, they do not eat wood but bore smooth tunnels deep into timber to construct nests. Years of a carpenter ant infestation often results in weakening structures in the house, sagging floors, warping window and door frames, and collapsing structures.

Accutech Pest Management provides ant pest control near you so you don't have to endure embarrassment and the risks associated with an ant invasion.

While we are in our homes sleeping, relaxing, or working, ants are in the yard doing their part in maintaining ecosystem balance. We need ants to do their thing outside, but we don't need them in our homes. Here are five ant prevention tips you can implement to prevent a future ant problem:

1. Seal cracks in the foundation and along the roofline.

2. Prune tree branches and shrubs away from the house.

3. Cover indoor and outdoor garbage containers.

4. Vacuum the house regularly.

5. Suction the corners and cracks in the home. 

An easy way to discover cracks in the foundation is to shine a light in the crawl space at night to reveal entry points. Cover any access points using silicon-based caulk. 

You may wonder why we suggest pruning trees and shrubs away from the house. Many ant species used branches as a highway from the yard onto the roof and window sills, where they enter through cracks. 

Ants are omnivores that will eat anything. Our garbage is heaven for ants because of the protein, carbohydrate, and fat-rich foods. If you wonder why ant clusters form around indoor trash containers, that is why. Keeping these containers closed will deter ants from entering your house. 

Sweeping your home and suctioning out cracks and corners will remove food particles and other ant attractants. Vacuuming will reduce the ant population and slow their progress in the early stages of an infestation. Consistently cleaning the house with ant pest control treatments from Accutech Pest Management guarantees you will never experience another ant infestation again.

When you contact the Pasadena ant pest control services of Accutech Pest Management, our excellent customer service team will note your concerns and problems. We will dispatch an experienced, highly-trained service technician to your Pasadena home to inspect for ant entry points, attractants, and hot spots and to identify the ants invading your property. 

Once we determine the ant species infesting your home, we create a strategy using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) solutions. This environmentally sensitive approach uses knowledge about the offending pest's life cycles and behaviors to determine how much and where to apply the product. The IPM approach allows us to use treatments efficiently and effectively while protecting the environment. Furthermore, it requires us to monitor the situation. 

Contact us today to learn about our pest control programs for ant control and to get a free, no-obligation quote.