Honolulu is home to several different species of ants. While only some of the ants in this area can bite or sting you, all of them are considered to be dangerous if they are allowed to roam freely throughout your home. And once a colony of ants has entered your home, they can quickly take over.
At Able Pest Management, we have been delivering world-class pest control in Honolulu for over 30 years. When it comes to ant infestations, there is nothing that our experienced technicians haven't seen before. Here is a look at some of the things that you can do to ensure that ants are not able to take over your Honolulu property.
Signs Of An Ant Problem On Your Property
Most ants in this area are incredibly small and usually only measure around ⅛ of an inch long. However, because they live in large colonies with several thousand ants in one nest, it is difficult for them to stay hidden for too long.
Some types of ants, such as the fire ant, are known to make large ant mounds all around your yard. Sometimes, these mounds can measure over two feet around. If you are seeing even one ant mound in your yard, you could have thousands of ants living on your property.
Carpenter ants are also commonly found in this part of Hawaii. They are commonly mistaken for termites because they usually cause damage to wooden surfaces. While the damage is not typically as severe as termite damage, carpenter ants can make small holes in wooden surfaces and can even cause structural damage over time.
How Dangerous Is It To Have Ants In My House?
Two types of fire ant species are found in Honolulu. Fire ants are some of the most feared types of ants because they sting their victims. Usually, fire ant stings cause pain and swelling that goes away on its own. However, sometimes, people can be allergic to fire ant stings, and it can cause them to have severe allergic reactions. Occasionally people can be swarmed by fire ants, and numerous stings can become more medically significant.
Most of the other types of ants in this area are capable of carrying and spreading a wide range of diseases. If you have a severe ant infestation in your home, you could end up contracting salmonellosis, streptococcus, or a staph infection. Ants enter homes in search of food and frequently contaminate any food that's accessible.
Five General Ant Prevention Tips
Here is a look at five easy steps that you can take if you want to keep ants away from your home:
- Clean up all food and food crumbs after each meal.
- Keep your pet food and pantry food stored in a sealable container.
- Don't set your outdoor trash cans near your home.
- Make sure that your crawl spaces and other areas around your home are well-ventilated and free of moisture.
- Keep the grass in your yard cut short and maintain your entire landscape.
- Ants will come into your home if they think they can find an easy meal or a safe place to build a nest.
By making the food, water, and shelter inaccessible to them, you will reduce your chances of having an ant infestation.
Professional Assistance Is Key To Total Ant Control
If you want to keep your home ant-free, Able Pest Management knows just what to do. We can inspect and treat your Honolulu property to ensure that the dangerous and destructive ants in this area are not taking up residence on your property. Give us a call today to get your free estimate!