red ant hill While our minds are occupied with springtime weather and newfound outdoor freedom, these little pests are thoroughly occupied with the many ways they can scramble into our homes!

Here In Richmond, Virginia, there are several unique types of common area ants that plan to build their nests in our backyards and garden beds this year. These are:

Red Fire Ants
Pavement Ants
Argentine Ants
Carpenter Ants
Odorous House Ants

While ants certainly aren’t the baddest bugs around, they are by no means welcome visitors to your backyard activities. The real dangers that ants pose are entirely dependent on the unique species in question.

Fire ants are most known for their painful and slightly venomous stings, which feel like a ‘fire’ running up and down the skin. Fire ants can and will sting repeatedly when threatened. They pose a greater risk to young children or those with severe allergies.
Pavement ants burrow under sidewalks, driveways, and other paved surfaces. They are notorious for creating long food trails in search of their next snack. Severe food contamination may occur with this species.
Carpenter ants are a wood-boring arthropod that specifically targets the wooden structures in and around a home.
Odorous house ants are the skunks of the insect world, spreading a foul ‘rotting coconut’ odor throughout the home.

As you can imagine, ants are a formidable enemy that outnumber their human neighbors over a thousand to one. With the dangers they pose to both your health and your wallet, most homeowners don’t want a single ant running unchecked in the home. In order to keep ant populations low and health risks at a minimum, prevention must be a critical component of your spring-cleaning regimen.

Factors That Attract Common Virginia Beach Ant

The first step in solid ant prevention is identifying the factors that attract ants into the home in the first place. Three of the most important of these are:

Food
Water
Shelter

As the homeowner, you can help to reduce or even eliminate these factors by:

Using proper food and trash storage in and around the home. This means sealing any pet foods in reusable containers, as well as bird seeds and opened canned goods.
Reducing areas of moisture around the home and yard can be tricky, but running a dehumidifier in problem areas is a great place to start. Fill in any dips or other areas of the lawn that seem to be holding moisture by using quality dirt or topsoil.
Identify and seal off potential entry points, especially cracks and crevices near doors and windows. Don’t forget to check your window screens and door sweeps, which may be contributing to your risk factors.

Ants are very tiny, which is why it’s so hard to find and seal all entry points. For more involved protection, consider getting a free quote through Pestmaster ® Services now.

Master The Ant Scourge With Pestmaster® Services

For more advice on ant prevention or assistance with removing a colony near your home, contact the professional team at Pestmaster® Services today.

By following a holistic plan of treatment, Pestmaster® Services captures the three elements of excellent pest control: speed, service, and skill. Our topical ant prevention treatments and reliable extraction methods are never second best, and have served the Richmond community for over 40+ years and counting.

Reach out to us today by calling your nearest office location, or fill out our online contact form to get started. We’re looking forward to hearing about how we can help you!