Pharaoh ants are notorious indoor pests. Although these pesky creatures are a tropical species, they can easily survive and flourish in temperature controlled buildings— hospitals, nursing homes, residential homes and grocery stores—during the cold months, potentially putting your home and your health at risk. For example, Pharaoh ants can cause substantial and expensive property damage to your home by gnawing holes in rubber, fabric, and wood. What’s more, they can spread a number of harmful pathogens, including Salmonella spp., Staphylococcusspp., and Streptococcus spp, producing a number of serious health concerns to you and your family.
If you are worried about a full blown Pharaoh ant invasion springing up in your house, don’t panic. There a number a preventative measures you can take to help stop these invasive critters from getting into your home.
What do Pharaoh ants look like?
Before you figure out your plan of attack, it is a good idea to know how to identify Pharaoh ants.
- Pharaoh ants are yellow to light brown in colour and can appear translucent.
- The worker ants are 1.5 to 2 millimetres long, whereas the queens are around 4 millimetres in length.
- They have three segments to their bodies, as well as three-segmented clubs on each antenna.
Seal up all cracks
The first step you are going to want to take is to ensure all the spaces in an around your property are properly sealed up. Pharaoh ants can scurry in to just about any crack, gap, and hole from any number of areas of your home, including door frames, windows mouldings, and walls. In order to prevent these opportunistic pests from entering your house, it is extremely important to be as thorough as you can when searching for possible points of entry.
Keep Your Home Clean
One of the best ways to invite ants into your home is to leave food lying around. A clean house is a great line of defence that will go a long way in keeping these pests at bay.
- Ensure all your food is stored in properly sealed containers.
- Keep your food preparation areas as spotless as possible, cleaning up any crumbs or spills.
- Seal up all your garbage containers and remove your trash from your home on a daily basis.
What do I do if I have a Pharaoh ant infestation?
Fortunately, there are a number of pro-active steps you can do to try to prevent an infestation from happening. Unfortunately, however, once pharaoh ants have nested in your home, they can be extremely difficult to remove. Using harmful pesticides and DIY cleaning products, for instance, will only separate the colonies and spread the infestation, making it even tougher to find and eliminate the ants. If you suspect you have a Pharaoh ant problem, your best bet is to contact a professional pest control company. DO NOT SPRAY FOR THESE ANTS. EVER.
For the most effective Pharaoh Ant Control, contact Solutions Pest Control today!
Call us toll-free at 1-855-858-9776 to learn more about this service.