If you live in Springfield and are wondering which ants are the most common to invade your homes and businesses, look no further. There really are only two species that are particularly problematic. These are the pavement ant and the carpenter ant. Both species pose their own set of unique problems, and nothing can be more frustrating than an army of ants taking over your home and not knowing how to regain control.
Pavement Ants are usually dark brown or black with lighter legs and antennae. They have oval, segmented bodies that grow to about 1/8 of an inch in length. They move very slowly and build colonies around pavement and concrete slabs or structures. Although pavement ants are annoying, they are not particularly dangerous and rarely sting humans. Even so, as a homeowner, you are not going to want them increasing in number inside or outside your home. These ants feed on other insects, sweets, proteins, and dairy. Many kitchens and pantries supply ants with the perfect smorgasbord, and as these ants forage for their food it is likely that your stored foods will become contaminated. Once indoors, pavement ants will nest inside your insulation, floors, and walls contaminating those areas and causing damage.
Carpenter Ants vary in size depending on what their job or position is within the colony. They will have black, dark brown, red/black, or yellow/red coloring, and they range in size from 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch in length, making them one of the largest species of ant around. Carpenter ants are not only annoying, but they will also cause significant structural damage. They don’t actually eat wood like termites do; but rather, they burrow into the wood to make their intricate nests. Usually, carpenter ants can be found outdoors in wood that is rotten and damp; but once they find themselves inside your home, they don’t want to leave. They like the moisture around kitchens and bathrooms and will eat any type of food they can find. Outside, their preferred environment is old rotted wood like stumps or trunks of trees. Inside your home, they will destroy its structural integrity by tunneling through wood around windows and doors, and by tunneling in ceilings, floors, walls, and insulation. They can also damage framing wood and support beams. The damage from carpenter ants can be both devastating and very costly.
If you are interested in avoiding costly damage from carpenter ants or the annoyance of pavement ants, you are going to need a professional. A professional pest control service like American Pest Solutions in Springfield, Massachusetts, can help you get rid of an ant infestation and will guarantee that our ant control procedures are effective and efficient. Give American Pest Solutions a call today to see how affordable residential pest control services can be.