An ant attack is always frightening. Although the majority of ant species are tiny, they can attack in huge numbers. Once you are attacked, you may not know how to react. To be prepared for an attack from ants, learn the reasons they attack in the first place and what can be done to prevent it from happening. Also, it is important to understand how to get rid of your pests before they cause more serious issues.
Reasons Ants Attack
Different ant species have different behaviors, but most ants attack people when they feel threatened. For instance, in most colonies, groups of ants work to defend the colony or their queen from external threats. If you stay near an ant colony while strolling through the wood, the ants may think you are a threat, so they will attack you.
An individual ant can also attack if it feels it is in danger. If you pick up an ant, it will bite you as an act of self-defense. To avoid ant attacks, be aware of the surroundings, so you don’t get too close to a colony while you are outdoors. But if ants have established a colony in your house, let pest control experts eliminate them entirely.
What Draws Ants to Your Home?
When spring comes, the worker ants start to forage for food. Only a few scouts will do this, but possible issues can occur if ants intrude into your home. As ants forage for food, they will scavenge different kinds of foods, although they particularly like sugary substances. This makes your home vulnerable to an ant invasion because even a small crumb of food or a spillage of juice will attract these pests.
It only takes a small amount of sugar to bring ants in. While they forage for food, ants leave a scent trail, so they can find their way back to their nest and help other ants follow the trail. Thus, even if you find just one ant in your home, you could be dealing with full-blown inflation soon.
How Ants Get Into Your House
Ants can easily squeeze themselves into tiny gaps and gain entry to your house. They can get in through small foundation cracks, door gaps, and poorly sealed windows.
Keeping ants out is quite hard; however, general maintenance like sealing door and window frame cracks or crevices can minimize their entry points. To effectively keep these pests out, focus on eliminating what draws them to your home.
How to Prevent an Ant Infestation
To keep ants from infesting your home, always keep it clean. Spills and food prep areas must be cleaned up immediately. Also, it is important to get rid of rotten vegetables and fruits and store sugar-based products like jams and cakes in airtight containers. Also, sprinkle natural products like salty, paprika, and turmeric powder around entry points to deter ants.
If ants have gained entry to your home, you cannot simply scoop them up and take them outside or kill them. More ants will come in because of scent trails that have been laid. To eliminate this trail, clean the area where ants have been thoroughly with a window cleaner or strong soap. For a serious ant issue, pest control services should be hired.
