While ants might be small, they’re formidable opponents. Ants can be a nuisance and downright dangerous. Once they get into your home, there’s not much you can do on your own to eliminate them. For this reason, it’s crucial to understand why ants invade Baltimore homes and what you can do to keep them away.

Which Ants Invade Baltimore Homes?

If you live in the Baltimore area, you can expect to find one of several types of ants. The ant that’s most damaging to your property is the carpenter ant. These pests tunnel through wood and cause damage to your furniture and home. Typically, carpenter ants are larger than the other local ants and are black in color. They can also be red or yellow.

As far as being a danger to humans fire ants are the worst offender. They are aggressive ants that attack in large numbers. If you have an allergic reaction to a fire ant sting, you face severe consequences. Even non-allergic individuals experience pain and itching after a fire ant sting. These ants are reddish-brown and have a small but visible stinger on their abdomen.

Another common house guest is the odorous house ant. This ant is small and brown or black and is best identified by the foul odor it emits when crushed. While these ants won’t bite you or destroy your wood, they can contaminate your food and make you sick. You don’t want any ants to invade your home.

What Attracts Ants Inside?

Ants have an abundance of food outside, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try to get into your home. If they find anything appealing in your home, you can expect ants to sneak in through gaps under your doors, cracks in your foundation, and holes around your window. All of your plumbing and electrical connections could provide enough space for Baltimore ants to get inside.

All of the following will draw ants into your home:

  • Crumbs On Your Floor And Table:  While a small crumb isn’t much of a meal for you, it’s a great meal for ants. After you eat, clean off all of your surfaces and sweep your floors. Likewise, perform a deep clean once every few months to get rid of crumbs from under your refrigerator and stove.
  • Food In The Trash: When you’re done with dinner, you probably scrape the food into your garbage can. Unfortunately, your garbage could be attracting ants. The only way to prevent this is to use cans with lids that seal tightly. This doesn’t only apply to your indoor garbage, but your outdoor garbage as well. Avoid overfilling your garbage cans to make your property less appealing to ants and other pests.
  • Improper Food Storage: Open food in your pantry could draw ants into your home. If you have open cookies, bread, and rice in your pantry, you’re almost guaranteed to have ants. Every time you open food, you should store the food in a sealed container. Although Ziploc bags work well, you might prefer to use plastic or glass containers with airtight lids. If anything spills in your pantry, clean up the mess immediately. Make an effort to clean out your pantry every month or so

The Key To Preventing Ants

To keep ants from taking over your home, you should work with an experienced professional. Here at Pest Czar, our experienced team can make your home a fortress. We use the latest tools and methods to keep ants from entering your home. And if you already have an infestation, we can help. Give us a call now to get started.