5 Risks of Ant Colonies at Home

Ant colonies are physical structures that are also cooperative organizations, and many ant colonies are filled with thousands of industrious insects.

While these colonies are fascinating, most homeowners don't want ant colonies on or near their properties. Ant colonies can destroy homes, harm human health, and damage the surrounding land.

Once you understand some of the risks of home ant colonies, as well as some tips on how to eliminate the threats, you can rest assured.

Ant colonies can cause structural damage

Ants come in many species, including harvest ants, carpenter ants, and field ants, and ant colonies can cause structural damage.

For example, carpenter ants like to nest and often carve tunnels out of aging wood to build their nests.

Unfortunately, this poses a threat as wood that has already been damaged will be weakened. When wood from colonies is hollowed out by carpenter ants, the structural integrity of homes and other structures can suffer.

Houses are big investments, as are other wooden structures like sheds. When ant colonies exist, it is difficult to protect a home investment.

Wood weakened by ants can be dangerous as structural weaknesses in the wood can cause beams or other load-bearing elements to fail.

1. Ant colonies can be harmful to human health

Ant colonies full of six-legged and social beings are invaluable to ecosystems, but not always healthy for humans.

These tiny insects can carry and spread germs, including salmonella bacteria. Ants are also known to transmit and spread serious infections and diseases such as dysentery and smallpox.

Ants can bite people, but they don't spread bacteria, infections, and diseases this way. Instead, they crawl around in structures looking for food.

During transport, they come into contact with germs and other things that can damage human health. While they keep moving, they spread these germs to other parts of a house.

2. Ant colonies can damage landscaping

As if the risk of structural damage and health problems weren't enough, ant colonies can also ruin the look of domestic landscaping.

Homeowners who spend time keeping their lawns fresh, green, and well-groomed may dread the sight of ant colonies building mounds that leave unattractive mounds behind.

When ants create paths within the grass's root systems, they damage that grass and can even damage lawnmowers. Some ants also breed other insects by helping them survive. This can lead to other insect problems.

3. Ants make their nests in your house

They usually signal a young monarch to come and build a nest closer to the food if ants discover a particularly good source of food.

You could have a full-blown swarm of ants in your kitchen before you know it. Since these are new queens and their companions on the lookout for a new home, keep an eye out for flying ants.

Also, watch out for scattered wings as this suggests the ants have found a place to perch and no longer need to travel around looking for a new home.

If the ant nest is tiny, you can physically extract the ant by placing a container filled with wool or straw on top of the nest and then throwing the container now filled with the nest into a large space such as your garden or a nest off your premises .

4. Ants can contaminate your food

Not only are ants nuisance insects that can be detrimental to you and your pets, but they can also pose a health risk by contaminating your food.

They accumulate and bring bacteria that can be passed on to your food and kitchen utensils as ants travel through your home.

While the likelihood of these germs being caused by food contamination by ants is very small, it is always important to note that it is conceivable and that you should take precautions to keep your food safe.

Storing food in closed containers that ants cannot access is the first step in preventing food contamination. Keep collecting crumbs to keep the kitchen clean.

5. Tips for homeowners to get rid of ants

Ant colonies thrive as a product of millions of years of evolution, so homeowners need help effectively eradicating them.

There are a few steps you can take to prevent ants from infesting your home and causing problems. One of the most important steps is to make sure that the surfaces inside and outside your home are clean and tidy.

Contacting a pest control company is the best way to ensure the safe removal of these insects. A pest control technician knows sensible ways to get rid of colonies of ants. Solutions can include sprays, traps, and fog machines.

Fog machines are used to gas an area for long lasting results. Since ants often lurk in hard-to-reach areas, including crawlspace, professional help is highly recommended.

Home remedies

Ants have a good sense of smell that can control their behavior and communication with one another. So as an attractant, you can mix baking soda with sugar and place it near the ant nests in your house.

Generally, the ants die after being eaten. You will then need to run the vacuum cleaner to remove the residue.

To keep ants from entering and building nests, check windows, doors, and walls in your home for gaps and crevices, and block them with sticky blocks or even chalk.

You can also replace your coins with copper coins in your piggy bank or nearby to prevent the spread.

The sooner a homeowner has ant colonies removed from their property, the better.

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