Ants are hardworking, intelligent, and organized insects. But once they take over your house, they can become a nuisance. If you have been dealing with these tiny pests, you may be wondering why they always invade your home. There are a lot of reasons your home is attractive to ants and other pests in Damascus.
Why are Ants Drawn to Your House?
Ants will march toward your trash can or kitchen counter for the following items:
- Food. Ants are omnivores, so they eat anything they can forage. Your kitchen can provide them with their favorites such as sugary snacks, veggies, and savory meat. Ants use their excellent sense of smell to detect food particles or crumbs. After they discover a food source, they will call for other worker ants to come and take the food to the colony. They use chemical signals, physical touch, or visual cues to alert the rest of their colony of a viable food source they have discovered. They will leave behind pheromone trails to help other worker ants find the food source. When an army of ants find the trail, they will follow it and carry a small piece of the food they find to their colony.
- Water. As with other creatures, ants need water to survive. In fact, they only have a few days to survive without water. Usually, ants form in lines to sources of water like leaky pipes or puddles. They may even store water in the colony to be used in the future. Thus, any moist or damp areas in the house will attract these pests.
- Shelter. Ants search for shelter, especially the carpenter ants. Such ants burrow into wood and cause structural damage to your home. so, if you find damp areas or areas with untreated wood in your house, pay attention to signs of carpenter ants.
- Preventing a pest infestation from happening. To prevent ants from entering your home, focus on making the space less attractive to the pests. This is possible by keeping it clean and tidy. These insects are drawn to food they can find in sticky pills and tiny crumbs, and clean up spills or crumbs right away. Never leave dirty dishes in your kitchen sink and wipe down the countertops regularly.
In addition, you should also seal up possible entry points. Given their size, ants can fit through very tiny cracks, so close up cracks or gaps around the doors, windows, and foundation. Caulk, sealant, or weather stripping can do the trick. Also, you can install window and door screens to prevent ants from getting inside. Since ants can detect tiny traces of food, store food in airtight containers. Never leave out any food on the countertop and keep fruits in the fridge.
If you have enough ants marching around your house, hire a pest control company to eliminate them for you. Pest control experts use state-of-the-art pest control technologies to eliminate ants and other pests from your house. They can also provide you with tips on how to prevent future infestations.