What are ants?
Ants are small insects, but their social nature makes them a big problem for people when deciding to take over our Orange County yards and homes. A single ant colony can have tens of thousands of ants working together to maintain a nest and ensure the group's success.
A colony of ants has one or many queens whose sole responsibility is to lay eggs and produce more ants. Males only have one job, and that is the mate with the queen(s). The majority of an ant colony is comprised of worker ants; these sterile females carry the bulk of the workload. They maintain the nest, care for the young ants, and gather food to feed all the colony members.
Ants come in various sizes and colors (red, black, yellow, brown). With more than 12,000 ant species living worldwide, this diverse group of insects is hard to miss. Ants have a three-segmented body, short antennae, six legs, and the reproductive members have wings.
Are ants dangerous?
Being one of the top nuisance pests living in Orange County and across the country, ants are pests that most homeowners will have to contend with and eliminate from their properties. Most ants are harmless, so they are described as nuisance pests as a group.
There are, however, some species of ants that are quite harmful. Some ants can cause structural damage, some spread diseases, and others bite and sting.
Keeping ants away from your property is important because whether they are nuisances or dangerous, they are pests that don't belong, taking over our homes contaminating surfaces and food.
Why do I have an ant problem?
Like all living creatures, ants have basic needs, with food being their most significant need. Ants live together in very large colonies and are on a constant search for food. Our Orange County yards and homes often provide these omnivores with a wide variety of food choices, including our pet's food, muffins stored on counters, garden areas, and trash cans.
Ants have excellent communication skills, and using pheromones will leave behind trails that lead their colony members to any food they discover. Once ants find food, these persistent pests are difficult to deter.
Where will I find ants?
Ants are most active during our warmest months when food is plentiful. As they search for food, they often find their way into our homes through small spaces they discover in our home's exterior walls and openings around windows, doors, and utilities like pipes and wires. Once inside, our kitchens, pantries, gardens, and trash cans provide them with ample amounts of food, and our homes provide them with a consistent temperature that will make them want to stay.
Our properties also offer ants sources of water that they need to thrive. Most species of ants have high moisture needs. Inside our homes, ants will gather or nest around sinks, pipes, leaky faucets, and areas with poor ventilation like kitchens, bathrooms, and basements.
How do I get rid of ants?
Protect your Orange County home from unwanted, unhealthy pests with the help of the professionals at Cura Termite and Pest Control. Our professionals know how to communicate effectively with our customers, solving pest problems through quality services that are safe for the environment.
Cura Termite and Pest Control rids properties of our area's most common pests using green pest control options. We are dedicated to keeping people and properties protected from the pests that want to call our California properties home.
How can I prevent ants in the future?
The best way to stop ants from taking over your Orange County property is to partner with Cura Pest and Termite Control and implement the following ant prevention tips:
- Use a silicone caulk to seal any spaces your find in your home's foundation and exterior walls.
- Replace damaged weatherstripping around windows and doors.
- Don't overwater your lawn; excess moisture will attract ants to your property.
- Look for things like leaky pipes and faucets that may cause excessive moisture to build up in your home.
- Cut back shrubs and bushes from your home's exterior to help keep the soil around your home's perimeter dry.
- Inside, keep your kitchen and pantry clean and free of food debris that will provide ants with sustenance and keep them returning to your home.
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