Ants

What are ants?

Ants in Lake Orion, MI are one of our most common household invaders; home and business owners deal with these pests on a regular basis. Their large colony size, ability to communicate and work as a team, and their potential for multiple nesting sites make these pests particularly difficult to rid of from properties.

Ants are part of most of the earth’s ecosystems. Their presence acts as a food source for many animals; the tunnels and nests they create in the ground help to aerate the soil, and they even help with the spread of seeds. However, those ants that have adapted to living on our properties with us are unwanted pests.

Physical features of an ant include the following:

• Three body parts: head, thorax, and abdomen
• A defined waist
• Bent antennae
• Chewing mouthparts
• Wings on reproductive colony members
• Two stomachs; one for digesting their own food and one for carrying food back to the nest in

Are ants dangerous?

Carpenter ants in Lake Orion, MI are one of the most dangerous ants that find their way onto our properties in our area. These ants invade our homes, searching for food but often decide to stay and build satellite nests within our home’s structural wood. Over time, their presence creates extensive and costly damage.

Most other ants in our area, like pavement ants and odorous house ants, are nuisance ants; while they are unwanted in our homes and yard, they don’t cause significant problems. Problems they do cause include spreading bacteria to surfaces and contaminating food sources.

Why do I have an ant problem?

Ants are a problem in your yard and home because it provides them with food and water. Ants typically move into homes after being attracted by food and moisture. Having things like clogged gutters and leaking pipes can create a build-up of moisture around your house that draws ants to it. Inside, things like crumbs in the kitchen on the floor and behind appliances will keep them returning. 

Where will I find ants?

Ants live all around us. Outside, ants move around our gardens, flower beds, and trash cans, searching for food sources. Inside, we see them trailing through our kitchens, bathrooms, and basements. All it takes is for a few ants to discover a source of food for a large infestation to develop. Ants communicate by laying down pheromone trails to alert other members of the colony to food sources.

Ants nest outside in various places:

• Carpenter ants like to nest inside fallen or decaying trees.
• Odorous house ants nest under mulch, woodpiles, and landscaping ties.
• Pavement ants nest in the damp soil found next to sidewalks, driveways, and buildings’ foundations.
• Inside our homes, structural wood, wall voids, insulation, spaces behind cabinets, and attics are utilized by ants as nesting sites.

How do I get rid of ants?

Trust Wells Pest Control to rid your Michigan home or business of ants. With more than 18 years of pest control experience, you can put your trust in our professionals, their vast knowledge of pest behaviors, and our effective pest control solutions in Lake Orion. We take pride in building close relationships with our customers and providing year-round, quality pest control services. We will provide the services needed to take care of current ant problems and to prevent them from re-infesting your home.

To learn more about removing ants from your residential or commercial property, reach out to Wells Pest Control today!

How can I prevent ants in the future?

To prevent ants from infesting your Michigan home or yard, take the following preventive steps:

• Caulk gaps in the foundation, seal spaces in exterior walls, and repair damaged door trim to help keep ants out of your home.
• Create a barrier between mulch or soil and your home’s foundation.
• Keep your kitchen, an ant’s favorite place to forage for food, clean of crumbs, sticky spills, and other food debris.
• Keep lids on trash cans to help reduce the food odors that entice ants to your property.
• Repair leaky pipes and routinely check under sinks for areas of moisture that attract ants.
• Use a dehumidifier in damp basements or crawl spaces to dry them out.

Learn more about our home pest control and commercial pest control solutions.