Ant Control 101: A Helpful Guide For Stuart Homeowners

Little bugs are always a problem, especially when they find a way to invade homes here in Stuart. One of the most popular and problematic local bugs is the ant. If you know anything about this pest, you should know that it is never alone. If you see one ant indoors, there are dozens, if not hundreds, more just out of sight. Assuming you do not like to find little insects on your muffins, in your cereal, and on your countertops, we have some things for you to think about today. Here is everything you need to know about the common types of ants in Stuart and how to handle an active colony inside your home. Speak with our team at Above and Beyond Pest Control for information about our ant control offerings. We also have options for all things that might require pest control in Stuart. If you just want to learn more about ants, keep reading. We have everything you might want to know about these local insects.

The Life Cycle Of Ants: How Ant Colonies Develop

Taking the time to better understand ants is important. These pests are simple to understand on a basic level but also incredibly complicated with their biomechanics and cooperative abilities. What do we mean by this? Well, let's start with the basics. All ant colonies are run by a queen or multiple queens. A queen's job is to reproduce and assign roles to new members of her nest. Most new members are either workers or soldiers, with workers being the most common.

A worker's job involves repairing and building nests and gathering food. Some workers serve as scouts and work hard to find sources of food. Most common ants will travel up to 100 yards away from their nests to find things to eat nearby. If a scout finds something tasty inside or around your home, they will travel back to their colony and leave a pheromone trail behind them. This invisible trail is why you can see one ant inside your home one moment and then hundreds an hour later.

Soldiers serve a different role in the colony. Typically larger, these pests are tasked with defending their queen and her subjects against anything that might cause harm. This usually involves fighting off spiders, beetles, caterpillars, and flies. Certain ant species have powerful venom that they inject using a stinger. Others have powerful mandibles which can pierce human skin. We will talk more about this in just a bit and discuss how these pests might affect your health.

Queens are the main reproductive members of a society. Sometimes, however, they will produce other reproductive ants called swarmers. Swarmers are born with wings and are tasked with leaving active nests to find new places to live, feed, and breed. If you see strange-looking insects that look like ants with wings inside or around your home, it is a clear sign of a coming infestation. Take this warning sign seriously and immediately seek ant control services in Stuart to keep these pests at bay.

There are many different types of ants that live here in Stuart. Some are more likely to be found inside homes than others. These species are ones that have the ability to eat a wide range of foods, including protein-rich and sugary items. We highly recommend learning more about local species so that you can more easily identify them indoors. Just keep in mind that the most common types of ants are small and either black or brown. This makes them difficult to identify. If you would like help understanding what species are present inside or around your home, bring in our team at Above and Beyond Pest Control for a comprehensive inspection. We can help you understand your risk. Speaking of risk, let's talk about some of the most common problems that ants cause here in Stuart and why you should work hard to actively avoidant infestations locally.

Ant Dangers: Understanding The Risks Of An Infestation

Ants are not the most dangerous creatures in Stuart. Most species that invade homes pose little to no threat to your health. Keeping this in mind, a few local ants can cause serious harm. Let's start with the fire ant. This small red ant has the ability to deliver painful stings. When threatened, they use their mandibles to latch onto human skin so that they can inject venom with their stingers over and over until they are removed. Common symptoms of a fire ant sting are a pinching pain, redness and swelling around the wound, and a warm or itchy sensation that can last for days. Multiple stings from these pests can increase the risk of more severe health problems. Individuals with allergies to venom might experience anaphylactic shock or other severe reactions to even just a couple of stings. Make sure you talk with your doctor to understand your risk.

Fire ants are the only directly dangerous ants in Stuart. They are not, however, the only species that might threaten your health. Pharaoh ants can also do this. These pests do not bite or sting. Instead, they carry tiny sickness vectors on their bodies. Two common bacteria you might pick up when these pests are around are salmonellosis and staphylococcus. This bacterium can lead to salmonella or staph infections. The best thing to do to avoid these illnesses is to keep your home clean and store food in places where these ants cannot gain access to it. We will talk about some more options you have to combat these terrible little insects in just a bit. For now, here is what you should know about professional ant pest control.

Professional Ant Control: Eliminate The Infestation

It is often difficult to find an effective option for ant control in Stuart. To make your life easier, let us share with you some of our easy and comprehensive pest control options. To help you combat ant problems, we will first inspect your home and property. This will allow our service technicians to identify where these pests are coming from and if they are living inside your walls. Once our team understands your ant problems, we will work out a plan of action that directly meets your needs. This plan will most likely involve targeted treatments and a pest control barrier around the exterior of your home. This barrier is designed to stop ants that might enter your home in the future as well as stop a wide range of other invasive creatures.

There are several pest control companies here in Stuart, but we work hard to stand out above our competition at Above and Beyond Pest Control. With over 30 years in the pest control industry and a passion for what we do, our team at Above and Beyond Pest Control is prepared to meet your needs. Along with providing informative articles like this, we serve our community with a wide range of comprehensive pest control options. Give us a call to find a solution to your pest troubles. We will answer any questions you have and schedule an appointment to help get ants out of your Stuart home.

Ant Prevention Tips: Keep Your Home Ant-Free

Investing in professional pest control ant treatments is the best way to prevent these pests here in Stuart. However, there are also things that you can do on your own to help stop these insects from invading your home.

Some of the top ant prevention tips for homeowners our team has to offer include the following:

• Investigate your home's exterior foundation and look for gaps, holes, and cracks. Fill in these potential entry points using silicone caulk or liquid cement. 
• Check all of your home's windows and doors and make sure they are properly sealed. If you find gaps, seal them using door sweeps or weatherstripping.
• Inspect your home's screens and make sure they are in good working order. Repair or replace any that are damaged.
• Store all of your food, including pet food, inside air-tight containers. Storing food in the refrigerator is also a good way to minimize odors and keep it away from ants.
• Make sure all of your trash cans have tight-fitting lids, and do your best to keep bins clean and emptied regularly to avoid attracting ants.
• Reduce clutter inside your home and clean up food messes and drink spills when they occur.
• Do your best to keep up with general chores like sweeping, dishes, and taking out the trash.
• Address moisture problems like leaky pipes, damaged fixtures, and clogged gutters. It also helps to wipe up moisture in sinks and bathtubs after you finish using them.

Reach out to our dedicated team at Above and Beyond Pest Control to learn more about our effective residential and commercial pest control services in Stuart. We will walk you through all of our great options and find one that best works for your Stuart home and property.