The Professionals To Call About Ants In Your Kittitas County Home

When you find hundreds of ants in your home, you might decide that it is best to move out. We're kidding, of course, but you might feel that way. Ants often enter Kittitas County homes in crazy numbers. They climb on walls, floors, surfaces, and ceilings and make an incredible nuisance of themselves. They can get into every nook and cranny of your couch. One of the worst things they do is collect into a scary-looking mass. If you didn't know they could do this; you might run from your home screaming. Again, we kid. But you'll know what we mean after seeing one of these biomasses. They look like something out of a science fiction horror movie. It can be disturbing. So, what can you do about ant problems in Kittitas County? Whom should you call for ant pest control? Only you can make that decision. But we hope you choose Prosite. Our service team is one of the best in the industry, and our technicians are knowledgeable in the behavior patterns, nesting habits, and food preferences of the ant pests we treat. We can guide you toward effective ant control solutions if you need ant pest control in Kittitas County. Let's look at common ants you can expect to find in your Kittitas County home, the problems those ants are known to cause, and how do-it-yourself ant control may let you down. Stick with us to the end, and we will tell you how the Prosite team can give you ongoing and permanent protection from ant infestations. If you need immediate assistance with an ant problem, jump to our contact page for service. Our technicians are always ready to help.

Types Of Ants That Commonly Invade Kittitas County Homes

Experts estimate there are over a thousand ant species in the United States, so it isn't surprising if you don't know what kind of ants you're finding in your yard or home. Unfortunately, the first step of an effective ant control program is proper identification. You need to know what kind of ants you're dealing with if you hope to control them.

The technicians here at Prosite are familiar with all the common ants in our area, and when they come across one they're not sure about, they have access to a support team and on-staff experts to learn what they need to know. Kittitas County residents go to the internet for support, but the information on the internet can be misleading or downright incorrect. Doing this can start you off on the wrong foot.

There are far too many ants in our area to mention in one article, so let's grab a few ant pests that provide insight into what you can expect from ants. Each of these pests is unique in its own way.

• Odorous house ants are stinky ants. You'll notice a rotten coconut smell when you step on these ants. Workers are 1/8 of an inch long and are brown or almost black. They create nests in many places and are prone to make indoor nests.
• Pavement ants are ants you'll find in your driveway and the cracks of your home's foundation. Workers are 3/16 of an inch long and black. Since they are little black ants, they're sometimes confused with the species of ant referred to as "the little black ant," or Monomorium minimum. Little black ants are only 1/16 of an inch long, which is three times smaller. Control for the two ants varies, so you'll need to tell them apart.
• Carpenter ants are red with black abdomens or entirely black. When you see black carpenter ants in your home, you might think you have one of the ants listed thus far, but carpenter ants are quite a bit larger than all of them. A carpenter ant worker maybe 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch in length, depending on the species and whether or not it is a major or minor worker. These ants create galleries in wood and establish nests inside.
• Pharaoh ants are 1/12 to 1/16 of an inch long and typically pale and yellowish with dark abdomens. They prefer warm, humid areas and are known to nest in wall voids, floors, and behind baseboards.
• Velvety tree ants are similar to carpenter ants in that they can infest wood and live near wood sources, but they differ from carpenter ants in one important way: velvety tree ants sting. It is unpleasant to get stung by these ants. They also share a commonality with odorous house ants in that they create a bad smell when you squish them. They're all around bad.

When you find ants on your property and identify them, you should understand the risks of having these ants on your property or in your home. We touched on a few problems, such as damaging the wood, causing irritating wounds, and making a stink. Let's dig in a little deeper.

The Problems An Ant Infestation Can Cause In Your Home

In most cases, ants will annoy you. That is reason enough to want them out of your home. But there are other factors to consider. You must weigh these factors as you decide what to do about ants.

• All ants are a health concern because they get into the trash and other dirty places. In your home, they can cause ongoing stomach illness.
• Some ants spread pathogens to humans, dogs, and cats. Be aware that ants might be the reason for sickness in your home.
• Some ants can chew through cardboard and paper packaging and infest pantry foods. Finding these pests is no fun when you're about to create a meal.
• Wood-damaging pests damage wood in secret places. The damage they do accumulates over time. It is best to deal with these ants effectively.
• Stinging ants aren't just annoying and painful; they may seriously threaten anyone with an insect allergy. An allergy can develop later in life after repeated exposure. Speak with an allergist if you have stinging ants on your property.

Do you see the challenge of dealing with ants? Ants can be sneaky. It is best to take steps to stop ant activity, so you don't have any surprise problems.

Do-It-Yourself Ant Control Is A Waste Of Time And Money

The problem with DIY ant control is not that over-the-counter products don't work to control ants. You can stop ants with these products. So what is the problem? Here are a few reasons you might waste your time on DIY ant control.

• Many ant control products treat the symptom, not the source. The sign of an ant problem is all those pesky ants. You can eliminate ants with a wide range of products. While certainly satisfying, it won't stop ants from entering your home. The queen(s) of the ant colony will keep producing workers, and you will keep seeing ants. You can bet on it.
• You might go halfway, leaving yourself at risk of ongoing health risks and property damage.
• You can make your problem worse. Some ant colonies have multiple queens, and budding can occur when ant queens feel threatened by ant control measures. Budding is when a colony splits into two or several new colonies. Improper pest control can also cause bait aversion. When the ants in your home stop taking the bait, they're hard to control.
• You might blow yourself up. Really? Yes. Some of the ways Kittitas County residents attempt to control ants are downright dangerous. Before you consider pouring gasoline into an ant hole and throwing a match in there, you should know that this isn't likely to solve your problem. It's just dangerous.
• You might burn yourself. Have you heard that boiling water can destroy ant mounds? Before you risk third-degree burns, you should know that this is a topical treatment that rarely gets deep enough to eliminate ant colonies.
• The worst way to go after ants is with home remedies. Most remedies are topical and don't get deep enough to control ants in their hiding places. These remedies are also often misunderstood and misapplied. For example, vinegar and water can exterminate ants, but only when you spray them directly. Spraying surfaces with this mixture will do nothing to control ants because the spray is a desiccant, not a control material.

Most of all, ant control is a process, not a product. When you contact a licensed pest control service provider to deal with ants, the solutions will be multi-pronged. Your technicians will do more than use targeted ant control.

Call The Professionals At The First Sign Of Ants In Your Home

Are you in Kittitas County? Contact Prosite for ant control in your house or yard. We provide industry-leading ant pest control near you. We'll send a technician right over and guide you in selecting the best treatment options for your specific needs. We can also guide you toward a residential pest control plan to help keep ants out of your home for good. If that sounds like a plan, drop us a line or give us a call.