Ants In Tampa: A Comprehensive Prevention And Control Guide

Are you ready to get rid of ants? The Tampa pest control experts here at EcoSmart Pest Solutions have the info you need to effectively control ant infestations and prevent them entirely. This guide will walk you through some key categories of ant information, including the ant life cycle, the risks of an ant infestation, prevention tips you can use for your home, and the value of professional ant control services.

The Life Cycle Of Ants: How Ant Colonies Develop

Ants in Tampa have a fairly standard life cycle within the realm of insects, developing from eggs to larvae, pupae, and finally the adult stage. But it’s the adult stage when ants divide into different roles. Do ants have a queen? Yes, they do, and in fact, ant queens help to define how ant colonies develop.

It’s the ant queen’s job to reproduce with ant drones. From there, worker ants take care of young ants and also go out into the world to look for food they can bring back to the colony. Even if foraging worker ants come under attack, there will already be young ants developing within the ant colony to take their place, and since ants don’t take very long to develop, ant colonies can grow rather quickly.

Let’s take a look at some of the most serious risks of an ant infestation.

Ant Dangers: Understanding The Risks Of An Infestation

Ant control for homeowners is about more than just avoiding minor annoyances. Ants can present serious risks through their presence in the home. Some of these risks, such as contamination, aren’t caused by direct confrontations with the ants. Instead, ants can contaminate various surfaces as they move around, and since ants are attracted to areas of the home where they are most likely to find food, this means that ants could contaminate the counters and other surfaces that you’re using on a daily basis to prepare and eat meals.

Other risks are dependent on the specific species of ants you’re dealing with. Certain ant species willfully attack or swarm humans when they feel threatened, such as fire ants. Their stings can be very painful, and depending on the individual, stings could lead to more serious reactions and medical risks. There are also destructive ants like carpenter ants that, true to their name, chew through wood, which could easily include wood supports that are vital to the overall structure of your home.

Ant Prevention Tips: Keep Your Home Ant-Free

Ant control begins with ant prevention. Here are some of the most important ant prevention tips that you should start putting into practice right away:

• Don’t leave food out anywhere in the home or even around the outside of your home. 
• Monitor standing water around the home or in your backyard. Just like bits of food, water sources can easily attract foraging ants. 
• Use door sweeps to eliminate small openings underneath doors. 
• Repair any cracks in exterior walls or around windows. 

These are fairly simple and straightforward things you can do right now to make your house less appealing to ants that are actively looking for new sources of food, water, and shelter.

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

Professional ant treatment in Tampa helps to make sure that your home will be protected from ants in the weeks and months to come. In addition to treating a current ant infestation, we can also identify problem areas in or around your home that encourage ants to come near and leave openings for them to enter your home. We can also take steps to prevent ants from visiting your home in the future.

Contact us right away to schedule an appointment and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Tampa.