It is not difficult to spot a pavement ant issue involving a Bensalem home or business. This ant species earns its name by digging under cement slabs to make their homes. To make tunnels, the ants remove the soil. The soil removal could dislodge pieces of pavement or cause pavement slabs to become unsteady. A person could fall or get hurt if walking on loose or unstable pavement. Also, the ants like to be harmed and have free access to food. They can easily fit in crevices in the foundation of a building or house. They also can chew insulation and electrical wires while making a nest within the structure.
Pavement ants enjoy food. They revolve their lives around finding food. It is for this reason when in the home, they head straight to the kitchen or the bathroom. If there is an open sugar bowl or box of cereal, they will be in it. Not only are they unsightly running ramped around a home, they will contaminate any food they have contact with. Their saliva will mix with the food, not to mention their feces. People could get sick if they do not realize that ants have been in the food.
WHAT DO PAVEMENT ANTS LOOK LIKE?
The ants are about an ⅛ inch. The bodies are dark and have a sheen, but the legs are not as dark. The body consists of the typical three segments and is covered in hair. However, the hair is usually not visible at first glance.
WHERE DO PAVEMENT ANTS LIVE?
The ants like to make their nests under hard surfaces. They try to find barren areas. Some of their favorite places to hide under include pavers, driveways, and cement foundations. The underground nests cover a lot of space underground. They can be up to 52 square feet and as deep as 35 inches. The colonies, at times, can hold more than 5000 ants. The door to their underground space is marked by the soil mound seen on or near the pavement.
WHAT DO PAVEMENT ANTS EAT?
The ants will eat almost everything that they come into contact with. They are drawn to sweet foods. The ants also need some protein. Their diet also consists of insects they find while building their home. They will also make a meal out of dead creatures. They enjoy nectar and seeds from plants. If they go into a Bensalem home, they will consume leftover grease, cat and dog food, meat and chicken, and anything containing sugar.
DAMAGE CAUSED BY PAVEMENT ANTS
Despite their small size, insects can cause property and structural damage. The ants' primary residence is under sidewalks, stones, pavers, walkways, and driveways. Not only are their mounds unsightly, but they are also formed from the soil underneath the pavement. Soil removal could cause the pavement to become uneven and a safety hazard.
It could become costly to have the ants running around the house. They will head straight to any food that is out in the open. The food will become contaminated with dropping, salvia, and other contaminates the ants have come into contact with. A person could become sick from eating the food. It is expensive to throw out all the food the ants were enjoying.
The ants will enter a home or building through any cracks they can find. They move throughout the structure in search of food. The ants march along the pipes and wires to move from floor to floor. They will not hesitate to chew on the wiring while moving from place to place. Over time, they will become damaged and could cause shorts and fires.
The insects will not let wooden structures get in their way of getting inside a home in hopes of finding a meal. They will damage the wood by making tunnels. Decks and patios would become weakened from the tunnels.
ARE PAVEMENT ANTS AGGRESSIVE?
The insects have no problems coexisting with people and household pets. They have two primary objectives. One is to find food, and the other is to protect their home. If the ants get stepped on or their food source is removed or blocked, they may become annoyed. They may sting, but it is not likely. However, their stings are nothing to worry about.
DO PAVEMENT ANTS CARRY DISEASE?
Although pavement ants do not transmit directly, they are capable of spreading disease by creating unsanitary conditions.
As with most types of ants, pavement ants have an acute sense of smell that is used to detect food sources which are often found in unsanitary place.
In turn, pavement ants may spread disease through the bacteria they carry when occupying kitchens where counters, dishes, silverware and uncovered foods can become contaminated
donot nt ants is not necessary in order for people to get sick. This is because these ants carry and spread potentially harmful bacteria like salmonella wherever they go. With a powerful and unerring sense of smell, these pests go into extremely unsanitary places to look for food. Next, they travel into kitchens, pantries and cafeterias, carelessly distributing bacteria as they go. They get into food that is stored for later consumption and crawl across surfaces where food is made and the utensils that are used to prepare it. Consequently, reports of cases of food poisoning tend to rise while an infestation is underway.
HOW TO PAVEMENT DETECT ANTS
Signs of a pavement ant control problem include:
• Pavement ants usually travel in big groups. Finding ants in groups in the kitchen and pantry area is one indication of a problem. • Take a close look at the sidewalks, the building foundation, or other paved surfaces. The ants will give themselves away by leaving piles of soil. The mounds of soil can be approximately two to six inches. • Noticing a long ant trail. The ants will establish a trail that goes from their nest to their food source. • Seeing ant wings on the ground during swarming season. Though the swarming season does not last too long and usually occurs at the end of spring or the start of summer, the females will shed their wings after mating.
HOW TO PREVENT PAVEMENT ANTS
To help protect against pavement ant issues the following steps should be taken:
• Fix or close any holes or cracks the ants can use to enter the home or other structures Clean the kitchen regularly. Do not leave dirty dishes out overnight. Try to notice any spills and wipe them up soon as possible. Make sure there are no open food containers on the counter. • Trim tree limbs and bushes so they do not touch any structures. The ants can climb the branches and shrubs and use them as a way to relocate from the outside to the house. • Pavement ants love moisture. Fix all indoor leaks and drips. Outside remove any standing water. • Use homemade sprays to help prevent pavement ant issues. A simple mixture of water with lemon juice will work. Spray the mix where the ants are visible or where they may be coming into the home. Cayenne pepper and vinegar can be a substitution for lemon juice. • Do not pile yard debris or firewood near the house, and keep tight lids on all outdoor trash cans.
HOW WE TREAT FOR
ANTS
Ants are the number one pest control issue and can prove virtually impossible for home and business owners to solve on their own. Ending an ant infestation typically requires proper ant identification, locating and destroying the nest or colony, as well as the use and application of specialized products.
As such, it is not advisable for property owners to attempt to eradicate an ant infestation without assistance from a professional pest control provider.
