Some ants in Elk Grove are dangerous, while others cause property damage. But pavement ants fall into a category of their own - they’re downright annoying. If you have pavement ants in or near your home, you could find yourself overwhelmed. Find out what you need to know about keeping these ants away and how to get rid of them if they call your property home.
What Are Pavement Ants?
Pavement ants are small ants that range in coloration from brown to black. Usually, their legs and antennae are paler than their bodies. These ants also have two spines on their backs, grooves on their head and thorax, and a stinger. If you don’t want to get close enough to identify a pavement ant, you can always call a pest control professional for help.
These Daphne pests have queens and swarmers that have wings and are much larger than the workers. Typically, homeowners find these ants outside in curbs and cracks in the pavement. However, this doesn’t mean that you won’t find pavement ants inside. They often trail their way indoors to find food.
Because pavement ants have numerous queens, they are challenging to eliminate. A queen lays eggs and can start a new colony. If the environment isn’t ideal for the new colony, worker ants move the eggs from one place to another.
What’s The Problem With Pavement Ants?
Unlike some other local ant species, pavement ants don’t spread diseases and cause property damage. But don’t let that fool you into thinking you should keep them around. Pavement ants are one of the most difficult ants to eliminate.
Furthermore, these ants have huge colonies. While you might not have a problem with 50 or 100 ants on your property, you probably don’t want to deal with the massive number of pavement ants that could be around. They tend to take over and make homeowners extremely uncomfortable. If you have pavement ants on your Daphne property, you could see endless trails of ants.
Once you have pavement ants, you should take action to eliminate them. However, this isn’t an easy task. Because there are multiple queens in a colony, pavement ants can survive most attempts at destruction. You need to find a way to eliminate every ant from your property, which means working with a professional.
Pavement Ant Prevention
Rather than deal with a full-blown infestation, it would help if you took measures to make your property less appealing to these pests. This means doing all of the following:
- Make Food Less Accessible: If you have an open garbage can on your porch or in your front yard, pavement ants have an endless supply of food. Store your garbage in cans with lids, or you will have an infestation in no time. Whenever possible, close your garbage bags tightly and don’t overload your cans. You should also make your food inside harder to access. If you look in your pantry, do you see crumbs and open bags of snacks? If so, pavement ants can enjoy a free meal. Don’t allow the ants to eat at your expense and instead seal up your food.
- Limit Moisture: Pavement ants in elk Grove, like other ants, need moisture to survive. As part of your pavement ant deterrent plans, limit the moisture in your home. Use vent fans and dehumidifiers wherever necessary.
Call A Professional
Here at Pro Active Pest Control, we know the secrets to pavement ant prevention and elimination. Our team is highly trained and ready to act. If you find pavement ants on your property or want to make sure they never invade, call us.