A line of tiny ants moving through your kitchen or living room is one of the scariest things that can happen. If these invaders are small, black, and look like they’re coming from cracks in your home’s base or walls, they might be pavement ants. To keep ants out of your home, you need to know how they act, what they like, and how to get rid of them effectively.
Figuring Out What Pavement Ants Are
The formal name for pavement ants is Tetramorium Caespitum, and you can find them all over North America. Their name comes from the fact that they like to nest under concrete slabs, sidewalks, and walkways. The length of these ants is usually between 1/16 and 1/8 of an inch, and they are dark brown to black in colour. Their waists are split into two parts, which makes them easy to tell apart.
What draws people to your home
As opportunistic hunters, pavement ants are likely in your home because they are looking for food and a place to live. This is why they might want to come to your house:
Food Sources: Pavement ants like things that are sweet and greasy. Sugary drinks that have been spilled, food crumbs, pet food, and even the sweet residue on dirty dishes are all common places where rats can get food.
Ants need water to live, just like all other living things. The water that pavement ants need can come from leaky lines, faucets, or even condensation.
cover: Pavement ants will find cover in your home. A lot of the time, they get in through base cracks, gaps around windows and doors, and other small holes.
Problems that Pavement Ants Might Cause
For the most part, sidewalk ants don’t do a lot of damage to homes, but they can still be a problem:
Getting in the way: Ants moving on counters, floors, and walls can be annoying.
Damage to Food: If pavement ants get into your pantry or kitchen, they can make your food dirty.
Large Colonies: Pavement ant colonies can get pretty big, with thousands of worker ants, which makes it hard to keep them under control on your own.
Controlling and stopping
To keep sidewalk ants out of your home and keep them under control, do the following:
1. Seal Entry Points: Look around your house for cracks, gaps, and other areas that ants can use to get in. Fill these holes with glue or a weatherproof sealant to keep bugs out.
2. Keep It Clean: Keep your living area clean, especially the kitchen. Clean the counters and floors, pick up any crumbs, and put food in sealed containers right away.
How to Store Food: Keep pet food in sealed cases and don’t leave it out overnight. Also, use sealed trash cans outside.
4. Regular Inspections: Check your home and yard often, both inside and outside, to catch any ant activity early.
5. Natural Repellents: If you live in an area where ants are common, you might want to use natural repellents like cinnamon or citrus leaves.
6. Get Help from a Professional: If the problem keeps happening or seems to be spreading, don’t wait to call a professional pest control service. They know how to get rid of sidewalk ants and have the right tools to do it.
That being said
Having sidewalk ants in your home can be scary, but if you know what to do and take action, you can keep them out and keep them under control. If you keep your home clean, seal off any possible entry points, and think about natural or professional pest control options, you can keep pavement ants out and enjoy a living place free of pests.
At Ant Control Lindsay, we offer long-term solutions that can guarantee the eradication of pest presence throughout the property through crack and crevice application in areas of high activity.