1. Why Am I Seeing Ants In Fall?

FEBRUARY 10 2022 /

Why Am I Seeing Ants In Fall?

Ants in Fall

If you live in our service area of Washington D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia, it can be surprising to find an ant infestation in fall. After all, aren't ants driven deep into the ground when it starts to get cold?

Well, yes. But, while you're not likely to see ants crawling around on the ground outside, it isn't fall inside your home. If ants are close enough to your foundation walls, or established inside your wall voids, you could still find them inside.

 

How Do I Know If there's an Ant Infestation going on?

An ant infestation can seem a little bit like magic. One day, you have no ants inside your home, and the next, ants are everywhere.

When it is cold out, and all the ants in your yard have gone into hiding, it can be even more baffling to find a hundred ants crawling all over your couch, barcalounger--or worse, your bed.

It can feel overwhelming to find them covering stored food items, pantry shelves, kitchen counters, trash cans, and more. But, it isn't a magic trick.

Those ants didn't suddenly find a way into your home and push in like an invading army. Here's how it works.

 

Ants, no matter what time of year it is, are constantly looking for food.

The way they search for food is likely to go unnoticed, even by the most watchful eye. Most of us don't pay attention to one little ant crawling around. It comes in through a crack, crawls along the floor divider between the kitchen and living room and finds its way up and into your couch.

If it finds crumbs inside that couch, it will leave a pheromone trail as it travels back to its nest. This pheromone trails works to help other worker ants find the food. Suddenly, one ant turns into hundreds of ants. Like magic.

This can happen with part the of your home that has accidental crumbs or food laying around. When scout ants find food, they leave a scented trail for other ants to follow.

This can lead to a trash can swarming with ants, a shelf covered in ants, and a wet spot on the kitchen floor (where a full trash bag was set for a few minutes) teaming with tiny little intruders.

 

How Can I Keep Ants Away in Fall?

What is the solution? Simple. Seal those ants out and keep them out. But, since ants are extremely tiny, and able to crawl up vertical surfaces and across ceilings, this requires the help of a professional.

If you have had it with ants, we get it. They are frustrating. Get year-round pest control, and say goodbye to ants, along with over 30 other common household pests.

With our Home Plans from American Pest, backed by our Pest Free Pledge, you don't have to wonder when the next ant invasion is going to happen. Your home will have the protection it needs, all year long.