Do you suspect that you might have an ant infestation in your house that might require the help of an exterminator? How bad is too bad?
Sometimes it’s just a small line of ants headed to some crumb or food left by the dog or whatever. But sometimes it’s more, a lot more!
In this article, we’re going to look at when to call an exterminator for ants. Of course it’s always a judgement call, but we’ll give some framework that will help you make the decision.
We’ll discuss.
- The tell-tale signs of an ant infestation
- How to handle the situation if the ants sting
- What exactly do exterminators do?
So let’s take a look at when to call an exterminator for ants.
Ants Invasion: When to Call an Exterminator for Ants
Though it might seem highly unlikely that an ant can transmit any significant disease, ants can surprise you when you open your cabinet doors next. Carpenter ants, for instance, can cause damage by chewing through wood inside your house, possibly resulting in high expenses to conduct structural repairs in your home.Â
They’re not as bad as termites, but carpenter ants are certainly a concern!
Furthermore, fire ants pose another threat by biting and causing painful inflammation to your skin, or much worse! I know — I’m allergic, which I found out on a trip to Miami that included a stop in the emergency room!
If you’ve got fire ants and aren’t sure whether you’re allergic, it’s a good idea to call an exterminator before you need to call the doctor.
A pest control expert can correctly identify ant species infesting a house and develop appropriate and safe measures to rid your home of the pests.
A pest control expert can correctly identify ant species infesting a house and develop appropriate and safe measures for ant control.
Every type of ant is identifiable using the location it is found within your house. However, locating and exterminating the ants will require the input of pest control experts. Below are some essential tips to determine whether you need the services of exterminators for ants.
How To Tell If Your Home Is Infested With Ants
Coming across a queue of ants within your home, more so areas where you keep food, does not automatically mean that your home is infested with ants and requires professional intervention.Â
Coming across a queue of ants within your home, more so areas where you keep food, does not automatically mean that your home is infested with ants and requires professional intervention.Â
You are likely to see ants searching for food, usually during the warmer seasons, and such ants are easy to eliminate and should not be cause for alarm.
But it can get worse!
You should seek the help of an ant exterminator when:Â
1. Your Family’s Safety Is At Risk
Disturbing an anthill or wasp nest could lead to the inhabitants’ agitation if you are unsuccessful. Doing so is particularly dangerous if you have a household member allergic to ant bites. Chemical pesticides also pose a risk to children and pets if you are unfamiliar with their proper usage.
If there is any chance that your efforts could lead to harm to any member of your household, it would be best to seek expert assistance. Professionals will use more effective and safer means of eliminating such pests.
By employing experts to handle the situation, you prevent any serious harm from occurring and, at the same time, prevent possible environmental pollution if you were to make a mistake while working with pesticides.
Remember, ants tend to reproduce quickly, which could result in rapid escalation of the issue.Â
2. Efforts To Address Ant Issues Prove Futile
If you have tried various methods to eliminate your ant problem, but the infestation persists in your home, then you probably require professional assistance.
Have you tried old-fashioned techniques and chemical pesticides without realizing any success? It is time to consider employing the services of an exterminator.
Failure to do this might result in the worsening of the ant infestation.
3. The Infestation Is Getting Get Worse
You will need to assess how bad the situation is before you seek the help of an exterminator. A not-huge amount of ants by your kitchen cabinet during summer should not cause alarm as you can eliminate them quickly without professional service.Â
Nonetheless, if you come across lines of ants for several days, it might be time to call an exterminator. If you have doubts about the extent of the issue, you can also leave this part to the exterminator, who will assess and establish the scope of the infestation.
4. You Despise All Kinds of Bugs
Traps are pretty handy with other pest infestations, such as mice. However, for ants, traps might not be as effective.
You need to know where your infestation is coming from in order for the baits to be effective, and sometimes that can be hard to work out.
As such, you should seek an ant exterminator’s help to develop techniques to keep the ants at bay and prevent them from getting to your house.Â
They can also advise on practices that discourage ants invading your home. Seeking the help of specialized exterminators is the best move unless you are willing to share your house with the ants beneath your floors and on your walls and pop up when you have aromatic delicacies nearby.
5. If The Ants Bite
Licensed ant exterminators are trained in proper techniques for stinging or biting insects and pests. Fire ants will not shy away from using their stinger on you when they feel you are threatening them. Together with hornets, bees, and wasps, fire ants belong to the Hymenoptera insect order and share some traits and behaviors, such as their nest designs.
If you disturb a colony of these insects, they tend to stick to whoever is interfering with them, injecting venom as they continue swarming. Such ants are dangerous even if you do not have an allergic reaction, and can send you to the emergency room if they sting you while interfering with their nest.
6. When the Ants Keep Coming Back
If you have experienced several separate ant infestation occurrences, it might be time to seek professional help from an exterminator. The continued return of ants, even following several DIY treatment attempts, suggests that the treatment you’re using isn’t working well!
By bringing on the big guns, you can get advice and help on how best to address the issue. They can also advise of measures to avoid future ant infestations.
7. When The Building Is At Risk of Getting Damaged
Wood-dwelling ants, unlike termites, do not chew wood. However, they can lead to significant damage extent over their infestation period. Ants living in the wood, such as carpenter ants, usually live in hollow regions and continue excavating your wooden structure while they expand their colony.
Failure to address the issue will result in the carpenter ants tunneling their path through your house. You can tell of wood-nesting ants through two primary signs: tiny wood-shaving piles next to window-sills or walls and the emergence of winged carpenter ants over spring.
Get professional assistance from experts if you come across these signs. Â
What Is The Job of The Ant Exterminator?
To shield your valuables from damage by these pests, you must work with ant exterminators capable of protecting you from the ant throughout the year while assuring that the infestation will not occur any time soon.
The best ant exterminators implement the steps below to guarantee to keep ants off your home:
- A thorough inspection of your business or home property
- Ant species identification and favorable conditions for the particular species
- Coming up with an ant elimination plan to address your particular infestation
- Implementing any control products and exclusion efforts
- If necessary, arrange follow-up visits to maintain your home or business ant-free
Conclusion
It can be difficult to work out when it’s time to call in a professional exterminator for your ant infestation. The biggest factors to concider are:
- If anyone is in danger
- If you’re having a hard time stopping the infestation with commercial products
- If your infestation is getting worse
- If the ants keep coming back
- If there is any major risk of damage
Good luck managing your ant problem!
