Most people don't consider ant infestations a big problem. After all, ants are commonly found in households and do little to no damage. While that may be true, you should be worried when ants invade your home. Why? If left uncontrolled, these nuisance pests can cause significant structural damages, spread bacteria and, in serious cases, cause severe allergic reactions.
During spring and summer, these nuisance pests seem to invade homes in overwhelming numbers. But there comes a time when the ant's colonies seemingly vanish into thin air, even without you treating your home or having a pest control expert exterminate the infestation.
So, where do these ants disappear to? Are they gone for good? Will they reattack? This post provides the correct answers to these questions.
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4 Reasons Why Ants Suddenly Disappear
Ants are the most common pest-related complaints by home and business owners. These problematic pests are pretty persistent and have developed an ingenious way that makes it hard for an untrained homeowner to control them.
However, ants can sometimes disappear from your home mysteriously. While that can be baffling for most homeowners, there is an explanation for this kind of disappearance:
Weather Changes
A recent study by Stanford researchers found that regular pesticides and bug sprays do not prevent or keep away ant invasions. According to the study, weather plays a significant role in the appearance and disappearance of pests in your home or business.
This explains why ants tend to disappear during winter. In the winter months, most ant species will go into hibernation mode. Their body temperatures drastically drop, so much so that they become very sluggish.
While many homeowners tend to assume that the ants have left their homes for good, that's not the case.
Ants prepare for winter beforehand. They seal up their nests and burrow deep into the warmer areas, waiting for spring. Note that if you have a serious ant infestation, it's highly likely that the nests are inside your home.
Home Renovations
If you renovated your home recently or gave it a thorough cleaning, you'll notice a sudden ants disappearance. Ants like to hide in clutter, close to leaking pipes and damaged pieces of wood.
By repairing or removing these ant hiding spots, you destroy their nesting areas, and they will disappear. In addition, by sealing crevices and cracks on walls, you deny the ants the convenience of moving in and out of your home. Hence the sudden decrease in ant sightings within your home.
You Have a Spider Infestation
Spiders are known for hunting down and eating nearly all types of pests- and ants are no exception. If these predators get their fangs on an ant, it's over for it.
While spiders are active pest exterminators, they are dreaded by most people. You also cant depend on the fearsome creatures to eliminate an entire ant colony; it's almost impossible.
Additionally, spiders can't destroy an ant's nest, so the ants will soon return. Another natural ant predator is centipedes. But just like spiders, they cannot eat an entire colony nor destroy an ant nest. So you'll only notice fewer ant sightings if the infestation is still low.
The best way for a homeowner to get rid of these persistent pests is by seeking help from a pest control company near me. The experts are highly trained to identify the exact species of ants causing you trouble. They will customize the most effective ant treatment plan that will render your home pest-free and protected from chances of re-infestations.
Yard Maintenance
Most ant species make their nests outdoors. Just like other bugs, ants prefer hiding in the yard or garden. This way, they conveniently invade your house to gather food and take it back to their nests.
Yard maintenance, including clearing bushes, eliminating clutter and organic waste, reduces ant activities while destroying their nests.
Tree stumps make the best hiding spots for ants and other invasive pests. By eliminating them, you effectively keep ants away from your home.
Why Do Ants Invade Your Home- Why Do Ants Suddenly Appear Out Of Nowhere?
Ants are in constant search of food, water, and a nesting area. These nuisance pests are attracted to even the tiniest food particles like food crumbs.
Though they are mainly active in summer, ants will invade your home while escaping unfavorable climates outdoors like heavy rains.
Hibernation
Ants hibernate during winter. They seek warmth deep in their nests, and once spring comes, the hibernation period is over. However, if your home has a continuous supply of food and moisture, the opportunistic pests will be happy to invade.
They are most active during this time; they will breed and lay eggs while causing maximum damage. For instance, carpenter ants will bore into wooden structures to create nests. Though they don't eat wood, these ants will cause significant wood damage.
Swarming
Ants will also invade your home during swarming. During the hot and humid periods, especially in July and August, reproductive ants, known as alates, develop wings. The winged ants are sexually mature queens and males.
They fly in swarms from their old nests in search of a new home to raise their colony. Once they find a new home, say your home, the ants mate and lose their wings.
Upon losing their wings, the 'winged ants' become the annoying invaders you randomly see in your pantry.
Perhaps you have noticed fallen wings and dead ants on your floor? That's because most of the winged ants die before they can mate.
You Accidentally Brought Ants Into Your Home
Sometimes you can unknowingly introduce ants into your home. For instance, ants can lack on your luggage from places you have visited. Once you bring the luggage home, they will find a safe place to nest.
You can also introduce ants into your home by bringing firewood and potted plants. Some of these ants, like thief ants and acrobat ants, are adventurous risk-takers. Once you get them into your home, they quickly build their nests and become permanent indoor residents.
While inside your house, you will often find these tiny creatures near food sources and in damp, hidden places. The most common ant hiding spots are in the cracks on walls, kitchen pantry, beneath bathroom floors, in pet foods, and under appliances.
Can Ants Cause Structural Damages?
Ants may be tiny, but they can cause many problems. Usually, the kind of problem caused depends on the type of ant infesting.
Most ant species are more of an annoyance than anything else, especially pavement ants. You will find these annoying little creatures almost anywhere in your home. Unfortunately, their sheer number overwhelms many homeowners.
Odorous House Ants are perhaps worse than pavement ants. Most ant species are known for contaminating foods, but odorous house ants are particularly good at it! They locate food sources, get into the food and contaminate it. They are linked to spreading bacterias like streptococcus, Shigella, and Salmonella.
Carpenter ants are responsible for structural damages. This is because they build their nests inside the wood. Hence they tunnel into the wood, creating big enough nests for the entire colony. Carpenter ants don't mind taking advantage of any available wood in your house to create a safe haven for themselves.
The Most Effective Way To Get Rid Of Ants
Ants can be pretty challenging to exterminate. That's because they attack in large colonies and can hide in the tiniest cracks, making it hard for a homeowner to locate them.
Additionally, there are over 10 000 known ant species. Each species requires a unique ant treatment and prevention method. Ants need an integrated pest management approach to get rid of effectively.
A pest expert will thoroughly inspect your home and compound to identify the exact ant species invading. After identifying the pest behavior and exposing their hiding spots, the professional controller will customize the best extermination and exclusion plan to get rid of the ants and keep them away from your home long-term.
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