Should I Be Concerned About Odorous House Ants In My Redding Home?
The odorous house ant is a small ant that also goes by the names sugar ant, stink ant, and coconut ant. They are brown or black in color and live within large nests with complex social structures. An odorous house ant colony can have more than one queen, therefore their numbers can grow rapidly. Odorous house ants get their name from the rotten coconut scent they give off if they are crushed. They prefer to eat sweet foods, such as honeydew, which is a sweet secretion that aphids produce. Although odorous house ants often live beneath stones and in soil, they can live anywhere, including in your home.
Why Do I Have Odorous House Ants?
Odorous house ants are attracted by the same factors that drive all living creatures: food, water, and shelter. Redding residents can find themselves overrun by odorous house ants if they make their home hospitable to their needs. Clutter can give odorous house ants a hiding place once they are already inside the home. Food left out, crumbs, rotting fruit, sticky spills, and easy to access pantry goods are all factors that will attract these ants. They are also attracted to places with moisture, like kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.
How Do I Get Rid Of Odorous Ants?
The only way to get rid of odorous house ants is to work with a professional pest control company. There are over-the-counter remedies available, but they rarely work to eliminate an entire infestation, instead only treating a few ants out of a large colony. A pest control expert is the most effective means of getting rid of odorous house ants.
How To Prevent Reinfestation In Your Home
There are a few methods that Redding residents can employ to keep odorous house ants from coming back to their property, such as:
- Trim back trees and vegetation from the house to remove ant entry points. Odorous house ants, and other insects as well, can use tree limbs like ladders to climb into the home and enter through cracks.
- Keep food tightly covered and stored away when not in use. Don’t forget to wipe up crumbs and spills immediately, as even a few crumbs is a buffet to an ant.
- Toss out uneaten pet food, rather than letting it sit out. Ants are attracted to pet food just as much as they are to human food.
- Shut the dishwasher door tightly if it has dirty dishes inside waiting to be cleaned. Odorous house ants will be attracted to the scraps of food left on dirty dishes. If you don’t have a dishwasher, wash dirty dishes right away.
- When taking out the trash, store it in a bin that has an airtight lid to keep ants from accessing the garbage.
- Avoid standing water in or around the home, which will go a long way to keeping ants out of the house. Ants need water to survive, and will therefore be attracted to areas where water may collect.
How Can I Get Rid Of House Ants Permanently?
The most effective way to ensure that odorous house ants are permanently removed from your Redding home is to contact a professional. Partnering with an expert in the pest control field, like Redding Spray Services, guarantees that your home is safely and thoroughly treated for pests. With more than three decades of experience in servicing Redding homes, we are skilled and seasoned professionals. We offer comprehensive inspections, treatment, and follow-up. Give Redding Spray Services a call today for effective and reliable pest control services.
Tags: ant identification | ants in redding | ant control |
Request Your Estimate
Complete the form below to request your no obligation estimate.