Ant FAQs

"Ants will invade homes sometimes for reasons that we can’t explain,” said Dr. Richard Cooper, staff entomologist at Cooper Pest Solutions. “The reasons ants are coming in to begin with is that they are either looking to build a nest in a wall or they are scouting for food resources, or both.”

According to Cooper Pest Solutions, “Ants are going to survey their entire environment and if the home is within their surveying territory, then it gets included in the areas that they are scouting for food resources. If they don’t find food resources, they may occasionally re-scout those areas periodically. However, if they do find food resources, then that may result in chronic or persistent activity.”

Where Do Ants Hide?

Ants, especially small odorous house ants, are typically found in bathrooms and kitchens but can appear just about anywhere. Their ability to scale walls and travel between the stories of your home allows them to forage in a wide radius. They are also drawn to basements due to increased moisture levels that inherently exist. 

That said, ants don’t usually live indoors. They create colonies around your property, sending what are called “scout ants” to find water and food to take back to the colony. Have you ever wondered why sometimes you see one ant and other times you see hundreds? When you see a single ant, that’s the scout ant trying to find necessities and signal the colony to follow.

Why Do I Have Ants in My Kitchen?

Your kitchen is probably the most likely place to find ants because it offers all the resources they need. Inevitably, small crumbs after snacks and meals get dropped, and even if you use extreme care in keeping your kitchen floor clean, ants are also attracted to other food sources that you may not realize.

Kitchens are like magnets for ant infestations. It’s easy to accidentally drop a few crumbs or drips every now and then, and even with extensive cleaning efforts, it’s hard to keep ants from congregating nearby. Here are some of the most common reasons why ants invade kitchens:

• Food: Ants are always on the lookout for a good meal, and your kitchen is like an all-you-can-eat buffet for them. Crumbs, spills, and improperly sealed snacks are sure to attract ants over time. Pet food bowls are also a commonly overlooked source of food for all sorts of pests, including ants. 
• Scents and residue: Even if your kitchen is spotless and crumb-free, the scents and residues left after wiping up spills could be enough to draw ants into your home. As ants travel, they also leave behind pheromone trails that alert other insects about nearby food sources, so it doesn’t take a lot of time for more and more ants to show up. 
• Water: Just like us, ants need water to survive. And guess what? Kitchens often provide a never-ending water supply. That dripping faucet or the damp spot under the sink will provide them with all the moisture they need. 
• Easy entry: Ants are skilled at finding their way indoors through tiny cracks, gaps, or openings in walls, windows, doors, and foundations. Once inside, they leave chemical trails known as pheromones to guide other members of their colony, leading to a steady stream of invaders.
• Nesting sites: Ants seek out safe and sheltered places to establish their nests. Kitchens offer numerous potential nesting sites, such as behind baseboards, under appliances, within cabinets, or even beneath flooring. Dark, undisturbed areas are particularly attractive to them.

Pet food bowls are a perfect way for small ants and other pests to thrive in your kitchen. Throw away uneaten pet food or lift it away from the floor into a sealed container at the end of each day to avoid this scenario. Ants and other pests can easily find pet food in poorly sealed containers such as the large paper bags that they come in. Frequently dumping water from their bowl can deter ants even further. Be sure to also clean the area around the bowls since dogs and cats aren’t always the tidiest when it comes to eating and drinking, and they create crumbs and water droplets that attract ants.

Are Carpenter Ants Dangerous?

Carpenter ants have large jaws that are strong enough to bite through wood, so, needless to say, they are capable of biting into your skin as well.

However, they are not looking to bite humans or animals unless they feel threatened. The initial bite can be rather painful and is followed by localized irritation similar to a bee sting. Even though they hurt, carpenter ants rarely bite, and the bites are essentially harmless, as carpenter ants don’t spread disease. Carpenter ants can cause damage to wood structures (usually wood that has been moistened and is damp or weakened by decay). Since they tend to keep coming back year after year, they can also be difficult to control on your own.

How to Get Rid of Ants: Ant Repellent vs. Ant Bait

The definition of repellent is, “a substance that deters insects or other pests from approaching or settling.” Basically, an ant repellent does as its title implies: it repels ants. 

This means creating a barrier that the ants no longer want to cross and instead search for somewhere else to go. Some repellents can work, however, in the end, you’ll just be redirecting the ants, and they may find another entryway into your home. Repellents don’t kill the colony, and if that’s what you want to do, then you may want to use bait instead.

If you’re looking to deplete the entire ant colony, you may want to use a baiting solution. The bait will attract the ants and they will ingest it to bring it back to the colony, where the rest of the ants will also eat the bait and eventually die off.

How Can I Get Rid of Flying Ants?

Controlling the flying ant population at your home can be challenging to do on your own. Once a swarm begins, flying ants will emerge in as many as hundreds of thousands. 

Fortunately, this typically only lasts for a few hours to a few days and then ceases. The goal of flying ants is to use their wings to leave the colony and reproduce. Swarming does not happen frequently, so pest control companies will focus on preventative rather than reactive services. You can vacuum up flying ants and dispose of them as they are visible.

Flying ants are likely to enter your home through cracks and crevices around your home including open windows and around your basement. Your best defense against any type of ant is to seal up these areas and keep your kitchen counter and floors free of crumbs. Without an entry point or a food source, ants will find your home less appealing.

Should I Use DIY Ant Solutions?

Are you sick and tired of trying everything to get rid of those stubborn ants that are invading your home? What exactly are you doing wrong that you can’t seem to get rid of them? 

There are actually several reasons why your DIY ant remedies may be failing. Do the ants in your home seem to be avoiding the bait you put down? If so, it may be because you’re using the wrong bait.

There are many different types of ants and each type prefers a specific diet. Once you identify what kind of ant you have in your home, you should be able to correctly determine what bait will work correctly. If you are using the wrong bait for the wrong ant, it will cause your DIY efforts to be unsuccessful.

DIY Ant Removal Best Practices: Bat Station Tips

Nobody wants unwanted visitors, especially when those “visitors'' are ants crawling along your countertops while you have guests over for dinner. With the internet bursting at its seams with tactics and tricks for anything and everything, what does it take to make DIY ant remedies work? 

Bait placement is critical when trying to remove ants from a dwelling. Where you place the bait can determine if it will be a success or not. Just like spraying repellents, bait placement along ant trails (that include lines and edges) would be the first place to start. Follow the edges along the baseboards and place your bait in a corner along that baseboard. You may also find ants crawling along the edges of your backsplash, if this is the case, place bait near those edges. If you already know the ant trail, start there. 

For instance, if you know you’re seeing ants in your kitchen near your dishwasher, start by spraying along the baseboards leading to that location. If there are any cracks or crevices, be sure to include those because they might be entry points for the ants.

What Exactly Is an Ant Spray?

Just as it sounds, an "ant spray" is a liquid substance that's sprayed in an area to eliminate or repel ants. Ant sprays come in different types, from store-bought insecticides to homemade all-natural sprays. Homemade ant repellents and sprays can be effective if used in the correct dosage and in the right locations. Without proper usage, you are unlikely to control any ants in your home.

Can House Ants Harm Me?

It's not common, but the worst way that ants in NJ and PA can harm humans is by spreading disease. Ants are constantly moving back and forth, indoors and back out, picking up germs along the way. This means that bacteria living on the ground or in your pipes can surface and spread if ants cross your food.

Sugar ants are the most likely to cause infection because of their specific attraction to sugary and greasy foods such as cookies and chips. Pharaoh ants, another type of sugar ant, are known to be carriers of Staphylococcus, a bacterial infection that humans can contract. There is also a chance that you can contract salmonella from eating food that ants have come in contact with. The best way to avoid these situations is to engage in proactive ant prevention measures and ant control services.

Why Am I Seeing Ants in My Home When There's Snow on the Ground?

During the colder months, ants remain largely dormant. However, if there's an active colony in your home, they're not exposed to the cold and they do not go dormant. They can also remain active outdoors after temperatures become warm if, for example, their colony is located near a heat source, such as a heating duct in the wall.

Ants can be a nuisance inside any home, particularly during the warmer months, however, homeowners may be startled to find ants inside during the winter months. Typically several species of ants primarily create colonies outside and only enter homes in search of food to bring back to the colonies. However, seeing activity in your home during the cold winter months is a sure indicator that there is a nest located in the home. 

If you're concerned about ants in your home during the winter, be sure to call our ant control experts as soon as possible.

How Can I Prevent Ants?

You can prevent ants from entering your home by following these simple tips:

• Move pantry items into sealed containers such as dishwasher-safe plastic containers
• Throw out food from dog or cat food bowls at the end of each day
• Sweep floors to remove crumbs or other fallen food
• Wipe down counters and tables after eating to avoid leaving food behind
• Eliminate moisture problems in your home such as leaky pipes

Although prevention is key, it isn’t always enough to avoid infestation.

What are the Benefits of a Pest Control Professional?

Pest professionals are equipped with the tools and knowledge to treat your problems.

Choosing a pest control professional to handle your pest problems has several beneficial factors. Take a look at our comparison below to see why a professional could be the better option when dealing with ants or other unwanted pests.

DIY Treatments vs. Using a Pest Control Professional:

• Expenses: Although initially DIY options may seem cheaper to tackle your pest problem, a professional may actually be the cheaper option in the long run. If you’re using various store products, some can be effective, but if they aren’t, you may be running back and forth to the store. In return, you end up spending a significant amount of time and money trying to figure out what product to use and how to use it correctly. Potentially, you may even do more damage to your home by mixing various chemicals and products.
• Knowledge: For a DIY, you must follow the directions precisely as listed on the product. If not accurately applied or placed, the DIY could ultimately fail. When you call a pest control professional, they are typically licensed and trained, so they know exactly what treatment protocols will effectively work on your specific pest. They will also be able to answer any possible questions you may have about the pests, including how to prevent that pest in the future.
• Risk: When you use store-bought products, you are taking on a huge risk by possibly causing damage or harm to your family, home, pets, or plants because you are using unknown chemicals. When you are using chemicals or products that you are unfamiliar with, you must thoroughly read the directions and then follow them exactly as described. Using a professional removes your risk. Your professional will be skilled and knowledgeable enough to deal with your situation, allowing you to have peace of mind once again. Prior to hiring a professional, you should read reviews on various pest companies and choose the one that best fits you.
• Treatment Effectiveness: DIY and store-bought treatments have a 50/50 chance of working. Some may be effective, others may not. Some might on the surface work, but in the end don’t eliminate your pest problem. Since there are no scientific studies done to prove their effectiveness, entomologists, like Dr. Cooper, strongly recommended against the use of DIY or over-the-counter pest products. A reliable pest control company will be up-to-date on the various treatment protocols and products that are effective in eradicating the pest. They will also have scientifically proven tools and chemicals to help eliminate your pests.