Ants are annoying little creatures. Thankfully, Anderson Pest Control provides quality pest control in Las Vegas and knows a thing or two about ant pest control. Here, we will help you identify the type of ant you have roaming your kitchen and provide safe suggestions to control the problem.
Identifying The Type Of Ant In My Kitchen
Las Vegas is home to several different types of ants and when they're affected by bad weather, food shortages, and habitat destruction, these pests find their way indoors looking for shelter and a free buffet. Ants range from relatively harmless to structurally problematic. Due to our dry, arid climate and sandy soil, ants thrive in this area.
Some of the common ants in Las Vegas include:
- Black ant: This black, small species of ant typically lives outdoors in large colonies. They don’t cause much harm and typically find themselves drawn inside by sweet sugary substances. These are the most common ants to ruin a picnic.
- Carpenter ant: Carpenter ants come in shades of black and brown and they are some of the largest ants around. They tend to come inside looking for shelter and will burrow through and eat rotting wood. In large numbers, this ant can cause structural damage to your home.
- Acrobat ant: This ant is identifiable by its heart-shaped abdomen. The acrobat ant comes in multiple shades of black, brown, and red. They like moist environments and often live in wooded areas.
- Ghost ant: This ant has a milky white and translucent abdomen. Its head, thorax, and legs are dark brown. The ghost ant lives in large colonies housing multiple queens. Outside, you’ll often find their nests near warm pavement or in wooded areas.
Most ants are considered scavengers that feed on sugary substances and decaying protein sources. Once they’ve made themselves at home, it can be a challenge to get rid of them. If they’ve made your kitchen their personal restaurant, they’ve probably invaded other areas of your home as well.
The Problems Indoor Ants Can Cause In Your Kitchen
Ants can wreak havoc inside a home. They can damage wooden structures, electrical wires, and some species spread disease. Some ants are known for distributing pathogens such as salmonella, staphylococcus, and streptococcus. If you’ve got an ant problem in your kitchen, you’ll want to be extra diligent about sanitizing prep areas and keeping things tidy.
Ants can be a predictable problem if there is a new housing development near your home or bad weather. In Las Vegas, routine ant control in your house should be an important part of your home upkeep.
DIY Ant Control That Is Safe Around Food
If you are looking for organic ant control for your home, we have some suggestions. Here are some simple solutions that are safe around food to help combat an ant infestation:
- White vinegar: White vinegar is a cost-effective, readily available natural cleaning agent that will kill and repel ants. Try using a 1:1 water and vinegar solution to clean hard surfaces. Ants have a powerful smell receptor, and they will be deterred by the scent long after it has faded. If you see ants, spray the mixture on them and then wipe them up with a paper towel.
- Cinnamon leaf essential oil: This essential oil is effective at eliminating live ants and repelling them. You can create a spray mixture by adding roughly 20 drops of oil into a 3 oz container. Or you can soak a cotton ball in the oil and place it in a troubled area, creating a roadblock for them
- Lemons: Lemon juice deters ants by removing pheromone trails and hiding the scent of food.
Ants work and communicate using their scent receptors which is why interrupting their pheromone trails works well at preventing their stay in your home. DIY options help, but if you’ve got a large problem, then you may need professional pest control help.
At Anderson Pest Control, we offer green ant control solutions, which means the products we use are environmentally friendly and safe to use around you and your family, including your pets.
Let Us Handle Ant Infestations For You
If you need home pest control or commercial pest control for ants, then look no further. Anderson Pest Control offers the most trusted ant control near you. We have over two decades of experience in the Las Vegas community and we can help you eliminate ants; all you’ve got to do is pick up the phone and call.