Many pests like to invade homes here in Aiken. One of the most common is ants. People regularly find these invasive little bugs crawling around their living rooms or trailing through kitchens and other rooms to gather food. If you have been noticing an influx of ant activity inside your Aiken home and you want to know how to identify ants that you are seeing, here are some things to consider today.
How To Identify The Type Of Ant Infesting Your Aiken Home
Several different species of ants live here in Aiken, many are not known for invading homes. Here is how to identify ants that invade homes in our area and what problems each of them can cause.
Argentine ants are 1/16 to ¼” long, dark brown to black, and like to build their nests around homes and indoors near water pipes, sinks, potted plants, and other moist areas. These pests are mostly harmless but will spread bacteria from time to time.
Odorous house ants are 1/16 to ⅛” long, brown or black, and build their nests around homes and sometimes indoors. This pest smells like rotten coconut when squished and doesn’t pose any serious threats to human health or property.
Pharaoh ants are 1/16” long, pale yellow, have darker colored abdomens, and build their nests in warm humid areas like behind baseboards, inside wall voids, underneath floors, and behind large appliances. This pest regularly carries and spreads bacteria inside homes and is known for transmitting diseases like salmonellosis and staphylococcus.
Carpenter ants are ⅝” long, red, black, or red and black, have larger heads and mandibles, and build their nests inside of water-damaged wood. These pests regularly damage the structural wood of buildings and come indoors to scavenge for food and moisture.
Is It Possible To Have An Allergic Reaction To Ants In Aiken?
Many people ask the question: "Can you be allergic to ants?" Our customers specifically want to know, "Can you be allergic to ants that get into homes here in Aiken? The answer is, yes, but it depends on the species of ant. Most indoor ants are not harmful to human health. The one you should be worried about is the fire ant. This pest lives in large colonies outdoors and can bite and sting humans. If you are allergic to insect venom, bites from these pests could cause severe reactions. Talk to your doctor to find out your risk.
Do Ants In My Aiken Home Mean It's Dirty?
There is nothing that ants love more than a dirty home. Clutter provides these pests with places to hide while scrounging around for forgotten drinks and food messes. But ants do not only invade dirty homes. During the colder months, certain species of ants will look to homes as places to stay warm. Other species, like carpenter ants, use homes for the wood to build their nests. Keeping all of this in mind, it is wise to clean your living areas regularly to reduce your chances of finding these pests indoors.
The Best Way To Protect Your Aiken Home From Ants
If you are tired of seeing ants inside your Aiken home and you need a good ant pest control plan to get them out, trust the experts at Aiken Pest. Our ant pest control options are designed to fit your individual needs and they take into account all of the types of ants in our area. If you don’t know if your home is infested or you need to know what kind of ants have gotten in, let us come out and identify the problem.