What are the most common signs of an ant infestation?

Ants at first may seem like harmless creatures that simply mind their own business, yet there are times ants may head into your home and cause a variety of problems. The problems ants cause ranges from overrunning your food, making nests both inside and outside of your home, breaking down your electronics and even attacking your pet’s food. Depending on the type of ants at your home are the problems you are to expect. Red ants are more aggressive and prone to biting, while sugar ants usually make their nests inside your home and some even inside your electronics. 

If you happen to constantly have to deal with ants then it is strongly recommended you hire an Ant Control Experts Pest Control Chicago to ensure the problem is dealt with. Having to deal with ants every day can be very exhausting and may seem like an endless problem, yet an expert can surely provide you a much more effective solution than constantly attempting to flood their nest with water. If you are looking to verify what are the most common signs of an ant infestation then let me provide you a few examples you can keep in mind.

Ant trails and ants randomly walking around:

Ants are always in search of food, which is why you may find them randomly walking alone around your home. If you happen to find a line of ants walking through, it may mean they have already found their objective. The smaller ants that walk randomly are known as scouts and just as their name indicates their job is to look anywhere for signs of food. Be sure you properly seal all sorts of food, especially sweets as these critters are known to love them.

Ants overrunning exposed food:

At times we may forget to seal our food packages or even leave droplets of honey crawling down its bottle. Ants have a great sense of smell and will very likely find the source of the food if you leave a trail. If you happen to find food overrun by ants, it is better to simply discard it as ants will go all the way inside the package to gather the food. Ants may also invade your pet’s food so be sure you check their bowl to see if you find any sign of these critters.

You find ant nests around your home:

If you happen to find ant nests or mounds around your home, then that is a clear sign of an ant infestation. Ants are well known for making nests in pretty much all places and their nests are very easy to detect due to their shape. Ant nests look like a small pile of dirt or soil with a small hole in the middle, and usually, you will see ants coming in and out. Some nests may be harder to spot or may be found below bigger appliances as these critters prefer to make their nests in quiet or darker places. 

The best way you can avoid having an ant infestation is to clean your home constantly. Ants are always on the lookout for food and leaving food exposed or on top of dirty plates makes it easier for them to target your home. If you notice the ant infestation happening too often even though you are cleaning, try mopping your floors with bleach as ants’ scent of smell is very delicate and can be easily affected.  

If you find too many nests or mounds around your home then that means that the ant infestation is too big for you to handle on your own. Ant nests are much bigger below ground than what they seem from outside, and dealing with them may be very difficult if you don’t have the correct tools. Each colony is known to be able to hold around half a million ants, which is why they always seem like an unending flood of creatures coming in. 

Ants do not come out from just anywhere, instead, they swarm around once every year. Younger queens fly away from their colonies to find new spots to create their own nest, and they may arrive at your home unnoticed. Ants themselves do not pose a big problem if they are properly controlled and you keep your home clean, as they will scavenge other houses and areas if they don’t find food around or inside your house. If you are suffering from an ant infestation don’t simply wait for them to die out as worker ants can live up to seven years while queens can live up to fifteen!