Ants can be annoying. Super annoying. These pests have the ability to make you feel completely overwhelmed when they come into your home in large numbers. One colony can have a hundred thousand workers! While each ant in a typical nest is smaller than ⅛ of an inch long and can be easily overlooked, it is hard to overlook thousands of them. On top of this, ants do a few strange things here in Las Vegas. Perhaps you've noticed. Have you ever found ants clumped together in a blob? These blobs can look like something out of a horror movie. Would you prefer to keep the horror movies on your television screen and not have to see them in real life? We have good news. There are many ways to get rid of ants and keep them out of your home, but with the good news, there is some bad news. Ant control is complicated. Why? Because different kinds of ants require different control strategies.
Join us today as we look at common ants in Las Vegas, the problems they cause, and how do-it-yourself ant pest control can let you down. Learning how ant control in Las Vegas can fall short will give you valuable insight. Of course, after we tell you the challenges, we'll tell you how to do it right. Does that sound like a plan? Great. Here's everything you need to know about ant pest control in Las Vegas.
The ant pests we see most often are odorous house ants, pavement ants, and pharaoh ants, but there are many other pest ant species. While not as common, fire ants and carpenter ants are a problem, and the problems they cause are worse than the others combined.
Odorous House Ants: These stinky ants are 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch long. They are uniform in color and may be dark brown or black. They are attracted to sweet food sources such as nectar and honeydew. When they get inside, they'll go for sweet condiments and other sweet food options in your trash or cabinets.
Pavement Ants: These ants are about 1/8 of an inch long. They are uniform in color and may be dark brown or black. These ants are often mistaken for odorous house ants. While mostly a nuisance in outdoor recreation areas, these ants may get into wall voids on the ground level. These ants are attracted to sweet foods and sources of protein. If you have lots of bugs around the exterior of your home, you're likely to have lots of pavement ants.
Pharaoh Ants: These ants are 1/16 of an inch long and vary in color, depending on the species. They are usually pale-yellow or pale-red with a darker or black abdomen. Expect these ants to come into your home by the thousands, they often have large colonies. Good thing the workers are so small. Pharaoh ants are attracted to homes with the scent of rotting organic matter.
Fire Ants: These ants are 1/8 to 3/8 of an inch in length, reddish-brown with a dark abdomen. They prefer sunny areas and tend to make mounds in the middle of Las Vegas lawns.
Carpenter Ants: These ants are 1/4 to 1/2 an inch long. The worst carpenter ants are entirely black. We also have species that look like fire ants. These are the largest ants you'll find on your property, and they are polymorphic, which means you may notice the workers are different sizes.
Did you notice a pattern? Several pest ants are brown or black and roughly 1/16 to 1/8 inches long. As you attempt to identify the ants you're dealing with, you'll need to consider their behavior. The problems these ants create are often connected to the behavior patterns that help identify them. Let's look at these next.
There are a variety of pest ants. We looked at them by type. Now, let's look at them by pest status.
Stinky Ants: When odorous house ants and certain other pest ant species get into your Las Vegas home, you will notice a smell. Since odorous house ants prefer sweet foods, the scent they create is sweet. Unfortunately, they often find sweet things rotting in the garbage. Some describe the smell of an odorous house ant as rotting coconut. Needless to say, it isn't pleasant to have these ants in your home.
Ants That Make You Sick: All ants can make you sick when they enter your home, but pharaoh ants present a particular threat. These ants feed on the wounds of dead animals, livestock, pets, and humans, exposing them to pathogenic microorganisms.
Wood-Destroying Ants: Carpenter ants fall into this category. They hang out around rotting wood and make tunnels in wood. They also create sawdust. Black carpenter ants make the most sawdust because they're the most destructive. If you have black carpenter ants in your home, you may get lucky and see the sawdust they're making.
Stinging Ants: You know which ants do this. A fire ant mound in your yard can cause a lot of misery. There is also a risk involved in having these ants on your property. A sting from a fire ant can cause an allergic reaction. Allergies to stinging insects can develop through the course of a lifetime of being exposed to ant stings. Have everyone in your home checked by an allergist if you see these ants in your yard.
Now that you know how to identify ants in Las Vegas and some of their behavior patterns, it is time to consider ant control. Many residents turn to DIY ant control to address ant problems. Is this the right choice?
What is DIY ant control? It is an application of pest control materials by an untrained individual. If you're thinking about getting over-the-counter products to take care of an ant problem, you should know these quick facts:
When DIY ant control fails, there are consequences. You should know that you can actually make your ant problem worse.
Do you see the challenges of performing ant control in your home or yard? It seems like a cheap fix until you spend a lot of money, time, and energy only to keep having ant troubles.
It is best to have a licensed pest professional handle ant problems. A professional knows how ants reproduce, where ants nest, and how ants behave. Once your professional has identified the ant pests in your home, your technician will select appropriate products and apply them in the correct locations. Your technician will use a scientific process of inspections, treatments, evaluations, and ongoing monitoring to ensure no ants remain active in your home or on your property.
Are you in Las Vegas? If so, you're in our service area. Reach out to Vantage Pest Control for effective ant control. We'll guide you toward a solution that addresses your problem and we will provide recommendations to help you keep ants away. If you want help keeping ants out, we can do that too. We offer layers of protection that make it hard for ants to live next to your foundation walls, never mind get inside. Consider navigating to our contact page and requesting a service visit.
We look forward to helping you stop the pest ants you're dealing with and getting you on track to living the ant-free life. Believe us when we say, "Life is so much better without ants."
