Common Ants in Washington State
One ant in your kitchen quickly becomes a dozen ants that continue to multiply until you’re completely overwhelmed. The experts at Sound Pest Control are here to educate you on ants in Washington and how to treat them to keep these stubborn pests out of your home!
Types of Ants in Washington
There are an estimated one million billion ants currently living on Earth, spread out over 12,000 different species. That’s a lot of ants! Luckily, there are only four common types of ants you have to worry about here in Washington:
Odorous House Ants
Odorous house ants, also known as sugar ants, are 1/16 to 1/8 long, black or dark brown, and emit an unpleasant smell when crushed, similar to rotten coconut. They’re drawn to sweets and meats, so they’re most often found in the kitchen. Due to their nocturnal nature, it can be extremely difficult to locate where their nest is located in your home. While they can bite, they don’t cause much pain.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter Ants are among the largest species of ants, measuring from 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch, though the queen can reach up to 1 inch in length. This type of ant resides in moist, decaying, or hollow wood and tunnels through the wood to create its nests, which can result in significant structural damage to your home.
Pavement Ants
Pavement ants are often found outside along driveways and sidewalks, but they can also migrate indoors in search of food. They can overrun your trashcan, compost bin, outdoor garden, and even pets bowls.
What Causes Ants in The House?
Ants are always searching for food and water. If they find either in your home, they’ll tell their entire colony about it. Matters as small as a leaky faucet, crumbs on the floor, spilled juice on the countertop, or forgotten pet food can act as a beacon for ants. Once a food source has been found, the ants will establish an ant trail, carrying the food back to the colony. Chances are, if you can identify the source of the ant infestation, you can get rid of the ants. However, this isn’t always the case.
How to Prevent Ants in Your Home
Preventing ants from entering your home is much easier than removing an established infestation. You can have a big impact by doing simple things such as:
- Cleaning up dirty dishes to prevent leftover food from sitting out overnight.
- Sweep and vacuum regularly to eliminate crumbs.
- Wipe down your counters, especially if you spill something or prepare food.
- Store food in sealed containers so ants can’t crawl inside.
- Seal off cracks around windows and doors and gaps in your home’s foundation.
- Inspect your home for any moisture problems.
- Cut any limbs or branches that may be touching your house, which the ants could use as a bridge.
- Perimeter spray treatments will kill any ants that pass through the barrier.
How to Get Rid of Ants Inside the House
If you catch an ant infestation early, you have a better chance of eliminating it on your own.
- Store-bought bait stations work by introducing tempting bait to foraging ants who then bring it back to their colony. The bait will spread, eliminating the entire ant colony from the inside.
- Insecticidal sprays kill ants on contact and some also create a protective barrier that lasts up to several days.
Unfortunately, both of these options are more likely to give you short-term relief, rather than lasting protection. Without identifying the source of the infestation, you’ll be stuck treating only the ants you can see. To get to the root of the problem, you need help from ant control professionals. At Sound Pest Control, we offer comprehensive pest control in the Bremerton area with safe, proven products that will eliminate ants for good.