Posted June 23, 2022

Finding an ant or two in your house isn’t always a sign of an infestation… but where there is one, very likely there will be more. Ants are industrious and communal insects. When a single ant finds its way into your house, it will leave a pheromone trail for others in its colony to follow.

Worse, you may not see evidence of ants for a long time. While ants are popularly believed to be generally harmless… they can damage your home, cause health issues for you and your pets, and attract other more dangerous pests.

Should I Worry About Ants In My House?

When it comes to destructive insects, termites often are the first pests that come to mind. Many homeowners don’t realize that carpenter ants cause similar types of damage to your home.

Carpenter ants tunnel into moist wood and hollow areas in your home to build their nests. Their presence may go unnoticed until it’s too late, and they have already done serious damage to decks, porches, window or door frames, and wall or ceiling beams before you found evidence of ants.

Another concern is the health risk caused by an ant infestation. All ants can bite humans or pets – and many will do so when threatened. Most bites are harmless, but irritation or infection can result if you don’t properly clean the affected area.

Some types of ants have venomous stingers. Fire ants – while not native to Long Island – have now been found here and pose a risk to humans and animals. Their stings are painful: causing swelling, redness, and itching in the affected area. More serious reactions to red ant venom include digestive distress, dizziness, chest pain, and difficulty breathing.

In addition to bites, ants carry pathogens that they spread by tracking through food. If you see ants on (or near) human or pet food, throw it out immediately and address the infestation.

Ants are bad enough on their own, but they can attract even worse pests that see an infestation as an opportunity to enter your home. Spiders – including the venomous black widow and brown recluse – feed on ants, as do bats. No one wants their home to be a haven for any of these pests, so it is important to remove their potential food sources.

How Do You Know If You Have An Ant Infestation?

There are seven telltale signs of an ant infestation. These are:

1. Live Ants: The most obvious sign of an ant infestation is live ants. If you see ants, you may have an ant nest nearby – perhaps even inside your walls.
2. Ant Pathways: A line of ants marching across a counter, wall, or another surface is a sure indicator that there is an ant nest nearby.
3. Nests: Ants will nest anywhere they can find food, moisture, and protection. This may be in your yard, in your walls, or in tunnels inside wood in or near your home.
4. Dirt or Sawdust Piles: If you see piles of dirt near your home or piles of small wood shavings inside or around it, you may have an ant infestation.
5. Damage to Wooden Structures: Carpenter ant damage may not be immediately visible while they tunnel through the wood. Eventually, the structures they have infested will show signs of sagging, breaking, or structural failure.
6. Hollow Sound in Wood Beams: If you tap on a wood beam and it sounds hollow… carpenter ants may be an issue.
7. Rustling in Walls: An otherwise unexplained light rustling sound can be a sign that ants are tunneling through your walls.

Let Fox Pest Control Handle Those Pesky Ants

Ants may be small pests, but they can make a big impact on your home and health. To keep your family safe and prevent additional damage to your home, contact us today to schedule a consultation.