Yakima County, Washington, is an excellent location for raising a family. Family-friendly neighborhoods abound, offering plenty of parks and recreational areas for spending quality time with those you love. One thing the locals in this area don’t love is home-invading ants. Without pest control in Yakima County, these common household pests may soon blaze a trail across your threshold.
Habits And Behaviors Of Common Home-Invading Ants
Ants in Yakima County are tiny insects that live and work together for the common good of their colony. Colonies are highly organized, with each member working to accomplish a common purpose – survival. Colonies are typically found underground near foundations, in crawl spaces, under concrete slabs and rocks, and among leaf litter and firewood. A colony's success depends on the queen(s) who mate and lay eggs. Most eggs produce workers who care for the queen and her children and seek and gather food, while others guard the nest. Workers are constantly looking for food and water sources for the colony, so they often bump into homes.
Workers that locate plentiful food and moisture supplies can communicate with other nest mates that they’ve found good food and moisture sources using a chemical called pheromones. Ants that infest homes can create nests within structural wood, wall voids, or close to nearby sources of food or moisture. Finding even one ant in your home is troubling because it probably indicates a bigger problem. To protect your home from ant invasions, it’s always best to use the professionals at Prosite for quality pest control services.
Why Ants In The House Can Be So Problematic
Out of the 700 kinds of ants that roam around the United States, Yakima County is home to many different varieties, so it’s not uncommon to experience an ant infestation at some point. Ants that get inside can cause all sorts of various problems for homeowners. Pavement and odorous house ants contaminate foods and surfaces as they crawl over. However, the odorous house ant also has a special surprise for homeowners; they give off a nasty rotten coconut smell when crushed.
Velvety tree ants and carpenter ants in Yakima County are on a different level. These ants both deliver painful bites and damage wood. Velvety tree ants also damage insulation and leave a foul-smelling odor in the homes they infest. Another local ant that can affect your health is the pharaoh ant. They spread diseases like salmonella, streptococcus, clostridium, and staphylococcus. When ants get inside homes, it is crucial to identify them. The experts at Prosite are trained professionals that can recognize local ant species and develop an effective plan for their quick removal.
Five No-Nonsense Ant Prevention Tips For Around The House
Keeping ants out of your home can feel like an impossible mission, but there are things homeowners can do to stop them. A few simple, no-nonsense tips can help homeowners deter ants from getting interested in their homes.
Five easy ant prevention tips for around the house include:
- Check and seal foundations and siding for cracks and crevices.
- Caulk or use weatherstripping to seal gaps or holes around doors, windows, and areas where wires and utilities enter homes.
- Keep bushes, tree branches, and shrubs from touching your home.
- Fix indoor plumbing problems and drainage issues in yards.
- Keep food, spills, and trash cleaned up.
Taking proactive measures to reduce the likelihood of ant visits is always recommended, but it doesn’t guarantee results. When and if ants find their way into your home, call in the professionals at Prosite for ant pest control services near you.
The Best Option For Ant Control In Yakima County
The best option for effective ant control in Yakima County is with a science-driven and service-conscious company like Prosite. We offer SiteCare pest control plans designed to protect your home from pests year-round. With so many varieties of ant species roaming around Yakima County, it’s always best to have a pest expert who can formulate a home pest control plan to address your individual needs. Get effective ant control services today by calling the pest professionals at Prosite for a consultation.