Ant Control Maintenance: Keeping Your Yorba Linda Home Ant-Free Long-Term

The Social Hierarchy Of Ants: How Colonies Are Structured
 

As we all know from experience, when thousands of people work in a company, there has to be structure. There must be a CEO who directs the company; underneath the leader are department heads, supervisors, managers, etc. 

Ants are social insects that create colonies consisting of thousands of members, and to avoid chaos, they have an organizational structure. At the top of the leadership pyramid is the queen, whose sole role is to produce offspring. Ant queens are similar to the CEO, manager, or supervisor who got into their leadership position by working their way. 

A queen began life in a large colony as one of many winged, reproductive ants known as an alate or swarmer. In the spring, future queens and reproductive, flying males leave the nest to create new colonies. The males and females mate in the air, and the males fall to the ground and die, but the fertilized females land, discard their wings, burrow into the soil, or find a crack in the wood (carpenter ants), and lay the first egg batch; thus begins a new ant colony. 

The offspring born to the fertilized queen are sterile female worker ants. These workers expand the nest's tunnels, create chambers for egg storage, care for future offspring, and forage for food. When a nest matures, which may take a few years, the queen produces winged, reproductive male and female ants, and the cycle begins again in a new location when these ants fly from the nest. 

The scenario mentioned above is the process for most ant colonies; however, in some species, the queen produces reproductive male and female ants without wings. The males fertilized the perspective queens in these colonies. When there is a perceived threat, several fertilized future queens leave the group along with several sterile worker ants and form a new nest nearby. This process is known as budding, and the ant speciesthat create new colonies through this method can be hard to stop. If you use a short-term solution on these ant types, you may have more nests in the home than when you began the process. 

When you partner with A-1 Bonded Termite for ant control in Yorba Linda, you will have a highly-trained technician inspect your home. Our technicians will identify the problematic ant species and create the appropriate treatment method to prevent the ants from creating new nests in your house.

Ant Dangers: Understanding The Risks Of An Infestation

There are many types of ants in Yorba Linda, and while they create a few common problems, some cause additional concerning issues. Here is a list of the ants that invade many homes in our area:

• Acrobat ants
• Argentine ants
• Carpenter ants
• Crazy ants
• Fire ants, 
• Ghost ants
• Odorous house ants
• Pavement ants
• Pharaoh ants
• Thief ants

Leafcutter and harvester ants are prevalent in our area, but they don't enter homes (or if they do, they quickly leave), so we won't discuss them here since yards are not the focus of this article. However, we want to expose the risk of ant infestations from the other ants on our lists.

All ants on the list contaminate items in a house. If you have wondered how ants can climb vertically up walls, it is because they have claws on the feet of their six legs. Ants do not discriminate regarding where they forage for food, so they often scrounge for carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in unsanitary areas. When they move through these areas, bacteria on the surface stick to their claws, which they later transfer to countertops, exposed foods, food packages, and other items in the house as they crawl over them. 

Another commonality the ants on our list share is they are a nuisance in the home. Nobody wants ants crawling across their body or utensils, fruits in a bowl on the counter, etc. Adding to the nuisance factor, some ants, like the 1/16 to 1/8-inch black or brown odorous house ants, release a rotten smell when crushed. However, an infestation from some ants on our list brings other problems. 

Although all ants contaminate surfaces, pharaoh ants are one species known to spread salmonellosis, staphylococcus, clostridium, and streptococcus. These pale, yellowish 1/16-inch ants with a darker backend (abdomen) are problematic in medical facilities but occasionally invade Yorba Linda homes. 

Other ants, like the carpenter and crazy ants, can cause physical damage. Carpenter ants create smooth tunnels in soft, damp wood to create nests. Years of boring tunnels into the support beams in the crawl space or basement can cause sagging floors, warping window and door frames, and even collapsing structures. So-named due to their erratic walking patterns, crazy ants have 1/16 to 1/8-inch dark brown or black bodies with a grey sheen and coarse hair. These ants create large nests in electronic equipment and appliances, among other items, where they chew on the wiring, eventually removing the protective coating. The combination of exposed wires and moisture from the ants' bodies results in short circuits that damage the appliances leading to costly repair and replacement bills.

Although they primarily build large nests against structures in the yard, fire ants occasionally invade homes through HVAC systems. When a fire ant nest is disturbed, the ants rapidly deploy from the colony, attach to the offender and repeatedly sting and inject venom. As a result, fluid-filled, painful, and itching blisters form that last for many days. In some cases, the venom overwhelms people causing anaphylactic shock. 

A-1 Bonded Termite is an ant control service near your home that protects the health and safety of your family by removing ants inside your house.

Ant Prevention Is Key: Effective Tips And Tricks

A long-term solution involves not only an experienced technician from A-1 Bonded Termite who will stop the ant invasion but also requires these ant prevention tips:

• Remove debris and junk from the yard
• Provide drainage to gutters, puddles, and ditches
• Keep outdoor and indoor garbage containers closed
• Prune trees and shrubs away from the house
• Seal cracks in the foundation and along the roof line
• Repair holes in window and door screens
• Install door sweeps on exterior doors
• Vacuum the house regularly
• Suction corners and crevices
• Clean and store used dishes before bed
• Remove pet food from bowls before bed
• Store food in plastic or glass containers

A clean and dry exterior will deter ants from infesting your property. Since ant invasions occur when ants move into the house searching for food, water, and shelter due to significant weather changes, the exclusion tips on the list will keep them outside. Other interior suggestions on the lists will discourage ants that somehow find an entry point into the house from staying since they will not find food and water sources in the home. 

A-1 Bonded Termite provides ant control for homeowners. When a technician inspects your Yorba Linda house, we will identify attractants and access points.

Professional Ant Control: A Great Way To Keep Ants Out For Good

A-1 Bonded Termite provides long-term pest control and ant treatments. We will dispatch an experienced and certified technician to investigate your property to determine entry points, attractants, hot spots, and the offending species. We will create a report detailing a strategic treatment plan that targets the current population and their nests using the data we collect from you and our findings; this information will outline long-term solutions. When you partner with A-1 Bonded Termite on an ongoing basis, we guarantee ants and other pests will stay out of your home. 

Contact A-1 Bonded Termite today to request your free inspection and estimate; learn about our pest control options and guarantee.