World Pest Day Brings Awareness This Summer
06/06/2019
June 6, 2019, has been declared World Pest Day, a multinational event, according to the National Pest Management Association NPMA. This day was est...
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Are you starting to notice ant hills in every crack of the sidewalk? Are you beginning to see mounds popping up all over your yard? Well, this is just the start. Ant populations are about to explode. It happens every year around this time. Let's take a look at three reasons why.
Warmth
Ants are cold-blooded creatures. The temperature of their bodies is the same temperature as the air, soil, or water around them. When it gets cold, ants slow down. In the middle of winter, they slow down so much they almost look as if they're dead. But, as soon as it begins to warm up, ants get busy again.
Hunger
During the winter months, ants survive off the fat they put on during the fall. When spring arrives, they're highly motivated to get out of their nests and begin foraging for food sources.
Floods
In spring, there is usually more rain. When the ground gets saturated, it can cause ants to evacuate ground nests in search of a drier place to be. This can bring them into man-made structures. While flooding won't increase the population of ants on your property, it can make it feel like populations are exploding because those ants can enter your home by the hundreds.
Risks That Come With Ants
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Ants aren't picky about the food they eat. They are as happy feeding on food in your garbage as they are the food in your pantry. But, when they go from trash to pantry, they can spread harmful bacteria. They'll also spread this bacteria to food prep surfaces, silverware drawers, dishes, and more.
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Some ants bite. While these bites are only an itchy irritation to most people, they can be a threat to individuals with an allergy, as well as infants, elderly, and the infirm.
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Some ants carve galleries in wood. These can be destructive when they find their way into homes.
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Most of the time, ants are just disturbing. There is just something about finding 5,000 ants crawling on the couch in the living room, or anywhere else for that matter.
Ant Control
There are many ant control products available and these products all claim that they will fix your ant troubles. Unfortunately, ant infestations aren't easy to fix. In fact, DIY ant control often makes the problem worse by causing ant nests to split.
Before you take matters into your own hands, give us a call. We've seen a lot of ant infestations and we can help you find a solution that will work the first time. For information about our residential pest control solutions or to schedule service in our extensive service area throughout Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia, click here.
