Signs You May Have an Ant Infestation in Your Boca Raton Home or Business

Ants are frequent invaders, attacking both homeowners and commercial property owners year round. Most ant infestations in Boca Raton, FL involve nuisance ant species. These ants can enter in large numbers and get into food items and be a general annoyance. Some ants, such as Florida carpenter ants, can cause structural damage to your home because they build their nests in wood. Unlike trailing nuisance ants, Florida carpenter ants often cause damage that isn’t visible until the problem has significantly progressed.

Some species, such as Argentine ants, are highly organized and can spread by connecting different colonies inside your home and around your property.

Why Are Ants Such a Nuisance?

Ants can be such a bother because they live in organized colonies in large numbers. If you see one ant in your home, chances are they are part of a much larger group. Seeing a single ant at a time means that a colony is looking for a sustainable environment to thrive. These single ants are called “scout ants,” which are searching for food and water in all likelihood. You have probably experienced this in your kitchen or bathroom. Once they find a suitable environment, the scout ant signals other members of the colony to follow, creating trails of ants that are associated with an active infestation.

Ant species get attracted to certain things. For example, Argentine ants like sweets, and they will often crawl into the garbage.

Ants often get into your home through cracks in the foundation, gaps in windows or doors, or other small holes. Because they are so little, it is almost impossible to seal all the entry-points that ants can use to get into your home. This poses a significant problem for homeowners in Boca Raton and throughout South Florida who are trying to fight the infestation on their own.

Where do ants come from?

Most species of ants live outside. Some create visible mounds in your yard, garden, pavement, or exterior landscaping. Some ants, such as carpenter ants, will nest within your home (in the walls or wood), but most species will not live in your home. Instead, they will move between their nest and your home once they find a food source.

If these mounds are near your home or if there are numerous mounds in your yard or garden, you can expect that the ants will try to find a way to enter your home at some point. Some ant species, such as white-footed ants, obscure their nests under rocks or other items that sit on the ground. Common nuisance ant nests are difficult to track down. These tiny pests live outdoors, only venturing indoors to collect food and water. Mounds aren’t visible, so it is not possible to detect where they’re coming from without knowing the biology and behavior of nuisance ants.

Carpenter ants prefer to excavate rotten wood, as it is softer and easier to build tunnels. If you have rotted wood around your home’s exterior, such as around window frames or under gutters, you may find the start of ant tunnels. Indoors, preferred nesting sites are areas with high levels of moisture including vents, attics, carpets, ceilings, gutters, sheds, under dishwashers, under bathroom fixtures, and wall voids.

What attracts ants to your house?

If you leave food out in the open, especially food and beverages with sugar or other sweet ingredients, then you could be attracting ants. If you remove the food source or store it in a refrigerator or airtight containers, then you remove the reason for ants to come into your home in the first place.

Of course, some businesses in Boca Raton, FL, especially food service businesses, taking this step can be challenging. Proper food storage and regular cleaning can reduce the chances of an ant infestation. However, you will have difficulty removing all the ant attractors for all species of ants without the intervention of a professional pest control company.

How does Hometown Pest Control get rid of ants in Boca Raton, FL?

When you have an ant infestation that you can’t control by cleaning or changing your food storage practices, you need to call in the professionals at Hometown Pest Control.

How does Hometown Pest Control get rid of ants?

Whether you reside in a Homeowner Association (HOA), Non-HOA, or a 55+ community in Boca Raton, pest control is important to ensure the health and safety of your home and family. While an HOA can provide many benefits within a community (and pest control may be an important benefit depending on your community), you may still need preventative year round pest control or treatment for occasional pest problems inside of your home, such as ants. At Hometown, we offer one-time treatments, monthly services, and annual services depending on your pest control needs. Call us today to schedule a free inspection. Same day service is available!