How To Prevent Ant Infestations In Your Reno Home

Many homeowners dread the day that they wake up to find a trail of ants marching across their walls, countertops, and cabinets. These tiny insects may seem harmless, but their invasive nature and ability to carry around a wide range of bacteria on their bodies make them a double threat. They can cause you and your family to become sick if the infestation becomes too severe.

At Celtic Pest Control, our Reno pest control specialist understands just how harmful it can be to underestimate an ant infestation. We have dedicated our careers to finding innovative and effective ways to eliminate a variety of pests from your home. Here is a look at some of our most comprehensive ant control methods that you can try in your home, 

Identifying Common Ant Species

In Reno, ants can invade your property every day of the year. And once they come inside, they will not leave on their own. In order to help you better understand just what kind of pest you are dealing with, here is a look at the common types of ants in Reno that usually invade homes:

• Carpenter ants: The carpenter ants are larger than most species of ants and usually measure between ½  to  ? inches. These ants can be red, black, brown, or a combination of red and black. They are commonly mistaken for termites because they chew through wood to build their nests. 
• Red ants: Also known as red imported fire ants. These ants are usually deep red, but they can also be red and black. They typically build large ant mounds outdoors and can become extremely aggressive if you get too close to their colony. 
• Odorous house ants: These tiny black ants usually measure 1/16 to ? of an inch. They typically have solid black or brown bodies and tend to live in the insulation of homes. When crushed, these ants will smell like rotten coconuts, which is where they get their name from. 
• Pavement ants: As their name suggests, these ants like to live around paved surfaces. They have small black bodies and will usually build little ant mounds in between the cracks of sidewalks, outdoor basketball courts, porches, and any other paved area. 

While most of these ants prefer to live outdoors, they will come into your home if they sense a viable food and water source inside. Sometimes, if the weather becomes severe, they will try to come into your home in search of a safe place to stay. 

The Health Risks Of An Ant Infestation

Most people are scared of having a carpenter ant infestation because these ants are able to destroy the wood around your home and could cause extensive damage to your house. But these aren't the only ants that you should be scared of. 

Most ants that can come into your home are also able to contaminate your food with harmful pathogens. Some illnesses you could contract from having ants around your food might include salmonellosis, E. coli infections, and streptococcus. 

Having fire ants around your property could also be hazardous to your health. These tiny ants are territorial and will attack if you get too close to their nest. They can both bite and sting you. Some people are allergic to fire ant venom and could suffer severe reactions if stung.  

Five No-Nonsense Ant Prevention Tips For Around The House

Ants can be difficult to get rid of once they have invaded your home. Luckily, there are things that you can do to prevent ants from coming into your home in the first place. Some of the easiest ant prevention tips include:

1. Sweep up food crumbs and spills as soon as possible
2. Don't leave open food containers out
3. Keep a lid on your trash cans
4. Take out your garbage regularly
5. Don't let your grass grow over eight inches tall

Ants will come into your home in search of food, water, and a safe place to take shelter. If you make these three necessities inaccessible, they will likely leave your property to find them elsewhere. 

The Key To Total Ant Control For Your Home

The best way to achieve total home pest control for your Reno home is to team up with a qualified ant control specialist. At Celtic Pest Control, we have years of experience dealing with a variety of ants, and we can eliminate these pesky insects from your home once and for all. Give us a call today to get your free quote.