Who among us hasn’t thoroughly wiped up a spill of a sugary drink on our counters? Maybe we were in a rush, or we didn’t even notice the spill at all — but you know who did notice? The ants. They’ll always notice if you leave behind food they can access.
Almost nothing grosses us out more than when we see a colony of ants scurrying along our countertops, mingling about with our food and drink and eating utensils. However, those are not the only kind of ants that might be infesting your home in Jacksonville; there are many different kinds of ants here, and they all do damage in their own special way.
Types of Ants In Jacksonville, FL
There are several different kinds of ants that can invade your home here in Jacksonville:
- Black ants: These are sugar ants and most commonly found on your kitchen countertops. While they are harmless to humans, they will infest your food pantry and chew through boxes and will even invade your dishwasher if you are not careful.
- Red ants: Often called fire ants, these common garden and lawn ants cause itchy, red welts if they bite. These are considered some of the most dangerous ants to deal with in Jacksonville because they can sting multiple times.
- Carpenter ants: Also called bull ants, these ants like to make their home in voids where they can nest and/or excavate soft material. They are likely to take up residence under window sills, decks, or anywhere else where there is softened wood in your home. Their bites are incredibly painful, so it is recommended that a professional help remove a carpenter ant colony.
- Pharaoh ants: Possibly the worst of all the types in Jacksonville, Pharaoh ants are impossible to remove on your own. They are resistant to almost all conventional household pest treatments and absolutely require a professional to handle.
Why It Is Hard to Remove Ants On Your Own
When people find ants in their home, they often run to the nearest store and buy different kinds of pesticides. They spray the areas they see the ants in, but no matter how much they spray, it never seems to get rid of the ants — they almost always return.
There are several reasons why it’s nearly impossible to remove ants on your own. One reason is that ant colonies are massive. Killing a few ants on your countertop does nothing to stop more ants from the nest showing up. Even if you were to locate the nest and destroy it, killing every single ant in it, there are still ants that were out and about, foraging, that were not destroyed, and they will go on to establish new colonies. Consumer pesticides have also been proven to not be potent enough to thoroughly exterminate ants effectively.
How Trad’s Pest Control Can Help You
It can be difficult to prevent ant infestations, but here are some tips to help:
- Keep your yard clean. Keep your yard free of debris, and make sure there is no vegetation touching up against your house to keep ants from using it as a free ride into your home via small holes.
- Keep your home clean. Make sure crumbs and spills have been wiped up on your countertops, under and around appliances in your kitchen, under the couch cushions, around your garbage bins, and wherever your family eats. This will discourage ants from invading because, ultimately, they are looking for free food.
- Fill in the holes. Look for any way the ants might be getting into your home, including cracks in your foundation and spaces around windows and doors, and fill them in.
You can try to prevent an ant infestation on your own, but the best thing to do to prevent and exterminate ants is to call Trad’s Pest Control. Trad’s Pest Control has many years of experience safely and effectively preventing and extinguishing ant colonies in Jacksonville homes. If you believe you have an infestation, call us today for a free quote!
The technicians at Trad’s Pest Control know how difficult it can be to keep up with the insects on your property and do everything you can to ensure your home is secure. Homeownership can be downright overwhelming at times. However, pest control doesn’t have to be — let Trad’s Pest Control help you today!