Here in Mooresville, NC we aren’t exactly unaccustomed to seeing ants crawling around on our picnic blankets, in our garbage cans, or even on our kitchen counters. Most of the time, we think of ants as just a nuisance, but there are a couple of ant types in our area that can be quite dangerous. Let’s talk a little about the threats these species pose and how to keep them out of your home.
Dangerous Ant Species
Fire Ants
Of all the ant species found in North Carolina, fire ants are one of the worst. An invasive species from central South America, the red imported fire ant has spread throughout the southern states and continues to migrate north due to warming global temperatures.
Fire ants love to build large mounds in the dirt, and sometimes these mounds can be over a foot high and two feet around. The problem with fire ant mounds isn’t their size but their occupants’ tendency to aggressively defend them. If you disturb a fire ant mound, the ants inside will swarm like yellowjackets, crawling all over anything nearby and stinging it as many times as they can.
A single fire ant sting isn’t typically dangerous or even all that painful, but if you unknowingly step on a fire ant mound, you can wind up with dozens or even hundreds of stings. Multiple fire ant stings can cause pain, swelling, pustules, and sometimes even anaphylactic shock in allergic individuals. If you experience difficulty breathing, weak pulse, skin rash, or vomiting due to fire ant stings, seek medical help right away.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants aren’t dangerous to people like fire ants are, but they pose a serious threat to our homes and any other structure made out of wood. Like termites, these large, black ants build their nests in decayed or water-damaged wood. Most of the time, they colonize dead trees, rotten logs, and other natural sources of wood. However, when these ants colonize your home instead, they can cause all kinds of problems.
Carpenter ants build large, complex nests full of tunnels and chambers. If left untreated, they can do extensive damage to your home, destroying decking, wrecking moldings and wall studs, and even putting your home’s structural integrity at risk. Infestations of these ants can lead to everything from bucked floors to warped walls to sagging ceilings and window/doorframes that no longer hold their shape. If you notice damage like this inside your house, it can indicate a significant and well-established carpenter ant infestation.
Ant Prevention Tips
Ants are tough to get rid of once they’re established in your home, but fortunately, there are lots of things you can do to prevent them, and most of these measures have to do with eliminating ant attractants and entry points. Take measures like:
- Keep trash and pantry foods tightly covered at all times.
- Inspect your home for cracks and holes in the exterior, and repair all damage.
- Never leave food out for pets. Feed them and put their bowls and food in an airtight container.
- Eliminate as many sources of water as possible, including clogged drains, gutters, leaky plumbing, etc.
- Get rid of all rotten or damaged wood in and around your home.
The bad news is both fire and carpenter ants are good at getting around even the most stringent prevention measures. The good news is help is just a click or call away. Here at Lake Norman Home Services, we’ve got over 50 years of experience dealing with pests in the Mooresville, NC area. We offer a range of safe, effective treatment services, and our technicians will work with you to ensure we eliminate every ant in and around your home and keep them gone for good. So give us a call at (980) 577-6040 or visit our contact page at Lake Norman Home Services to schedule your service!