Long before ants become a problem and you have to reach out to Mooresville pest control for service, there are many things you can do to deter ants in your yard and prevent ants from infesting your home. Today, we're going to share 5 ant prevention tips for effective ant control in Mooresville and tell you how to keep ants out of your house but, before we do, let's look at why it is important to roll your sleeves up and do the hard work of ant pest control.
Why Ants Are A Problem When They Invade Your Home?
Most ants that get into your home are going to just be annoying. Ants are usually nuisance pests that present a low health risk when they get into garbage and then get into kitchens and pantries. The ants to be concerned about are carpenter ants, fire ants, and Pharaoh ants. Carpenter ants damage property, fire ants sting, and Pharaoh ants present a higher health risk. If you have these ants in your yard, effective ant control is a must. Take the time to learn how to identify carpenter ants and other harmful ant pests.
What Attracts Ants To Your Home
When considering ant control in your yard, you need to consider what attracts ants in general, and particularly, what attracts fire ants, carpenter ants, and Pharaoh ants.
- Fire ants, and several other nuisance ant species, are drawn to nectar. If you have little flowering weeds in your yard, you'll attract these ants.
- Carpenter ants eat nectar but the food source they find most appealing is honeydew. If aphids get into your landscaping, you'll increase your chances of a carpenter ant infestation.
- Carpenter ants seek harborage in rotting wood. If you have branch piles, scrap wood, stumps, logs, or some other soft, wood source, you can attract the attention of carpenter ants.
- Pharaoh ants, and several other species of ants, are drawn to decaying organic matter in trash cans and also in your landscaping.
5 Ant Prevention Tips
Now that you know a few of the attractants that can make your property appealing to ants, let's take a look at ant control in your yard and how to keep ants out of your house.
- Sanitation. Manage your garbage, keep trash covered, and deodorize receptacles when they develop an odor. Stay on top of waste clean-up if you have a dog. Everything you do to keep your yard clean will deter ants.
- Reduce insects and bugs. Some ants have a preference for proteins and will eat insects and bugs. Use natural deterrents for reducing bugs, such as replacing exterior white lights with yellow lights.
- Address weed problems, particularly any flowering weeds.
- Address moisture issues. Moisture promotes plant decay and plant disease. Both attract ants.
- Seal entry points in your exterior. Ants get in because they can. Seal every hole, gap, or crack and replace protective items, such as weatherstripping, door sweeps, and screens.
When you use these prevention steps, you can reduce ants in your yard and make them much less likely to get in your Mooresville home. If more control is needed, you might need ant pest control products to get the level of control you desire. These should be selected and administered by a professional.
Why Professional Ant Control Is Best
A licensed pest professional isn't just trained in how to identify carpenter ants, fire ants, Pharaoh ants, and other pest ant species, a professional has training in field-tested ant control solutions developed by industry experts. If you're in Mooresville, let the pest professional here at Lake Norman Home Services assist you with ant control. Our technicians have the latest training and they can get you the best results. It's easy to get started. Reach out to us through our contact page and tell us about your ant problem. At Lake Norman Home Services, we work hard to provide the best ant control solutions available in the industry. We can help.