Pest control services to remove any infestation
Pest Control Essex takes steps to try and prevent another infestation occurring whether it is through one-off treatments or continued maintenance.
Ants may not immediately come to mind as a pest except during picnics but an infestation of ants in your home or business can be a real nuisance.
Whether they are regularly coming in from your garden or have set up their colony inside your property, problems can arise.
There are around 40 different types of ant living in the UK with the most common being the Black Garden Ant. Other species may present their own unique problems.
Why do I have an ant infestation?
Like many pests, food is the main lure for ants so crumbs, particularly from sweet things, on the floor, furniture and countertops are attractive for the ants.
Properties are a good environment for ants as they prefer warmer climates so the warmth of the indoors is an attractive prospect to them.
Ants also like areas with excess moisture so bathrooms are a popular spot in the property for ants to be drawn to.
Being very small, ants can get in through minuscule openings in walls and tiles as a means of entering a property and it also allows them to stay hidden and out of sight.
Ants breed quickly so what might start off as a small number of ants inside the home can soon lead to a full-on infestation.
Signs and consequences of an ant infestation
While ants are small, they can be spotted easily enough by the human eye particularly if there are a number of them at one time.
Disturbed soil outside your property is a sign of an ant colony which might not be an immediate concern but if they find a way into your house, there’s likely a reason why they keep returning.
If ants are living inside your property, there will likely be some sand or sawdust-like substance near the point of their nest as they discard of waste and debris, including dead ants, as they make themselves at home.
The signs of an ant infestation point to the problems that can arise when a number of ants make your property their home.
Ants may be attracted by crumbs but they are capable of getting into food supplies that will the ruin food in your home or will damage stock if you are a business in the food industry.
Ants can also carry disease so eating food which has been spoiled by ants may cause illness such as Salmonella while Pharaoh Ants can carry Staphylococcus, a bacterial infection that can be caught by humans.
Carpenter ants can potentially damage the wooden fixtures and fittings in your property as they like to make their nests in old, decaying wood.
How to cope and deal with an ant infestation
It is difficult to remove an ant infestation yourself but there are steps you can take to limit their damage until a professional provides pest control treatment.
Crumbs should be regularly cleaned up to try and prevent ants coming into your house or out of their hiding space within your property.
The rest of your food should be stored securely to stop ants from getting into them and spoiling the food.
While it may not eliminate the problem entirely as ants may still come in or remain in the home but the damage they cause can be reduced through these steps until your residency is treated.
If you can, you should try and cover any small openings in your walls where the ants could be coming in from.
If you have or suspect you might have, an ant infestation in your property, you can call us on 01245 526726 or email [email protected] to discuss the options for treatment with you.