PHOENIX HOMEOWNERS' GUIDE TO ALL THINGS ANT CONTROL

Did you play with ants as a child? Did you let them crawl on your hands and place your hands together to create a bridge as they traveled along your hands? Maybe you never played with ants but always considered them a nuisance. You may remember your parents brushing them vigorously off your clothing or flicking them off the picnic table. If we all think back, we can probably remember ants and how we responded to them.

Although we may not understand the role of ants, we can agree that they play a part in the ecosystem, and while we instinctively know they are necessary, we don't want them in our houses. Despite their size, when ants enter our homes, we feel invaded. We don't want little yellow, black, red, or brown insects crawling over us while we sleep, read, or watch television. No one wants to smell the odor some ants release when we crush them to get rid of them. When ants infest our house, we want ant control solutions so we can have our home back.

If you are frustrated with ants crawling around the pet food bowl, garbage can lid, or the countertops, you need the Phoenix pest control services from Overson Pest Control. Our locally owned and operated company has over ten years of combined pest control experience. Although we are a young company, we have already been awarded the Super Service Award (2019) by Angie's List. Overson Pest Control is quickly building a reputation for excellence, service, and integrity in the Phoenix area. We desire to equip our community to win the war against pests, so we answer common questions in this article.

The Types Of Ants You're Most Likely To Encounter In Your Home

If you stand outside and look down, it won't be long until you see ants milling around on the pavement, in grass or flowerbeds. Thousands of ant species exist worldwide, and the United States is home to over 700 ant species making them the number one nuisance pest in the country. Fortunately, we don't have to worry about all 700 species in Phoenix; instead, we will examine the top intruders in the area.

• Crazy ants: If you wonder why this ant species is so-named, it is because of their erratic movements, which make a zigzag pattern as they walk. Crazy ants are only 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch long, making them one of the smallest ant species, and they have a dark brown to black body with a faintly bluish tint. Inside houses, crazy ants live in electronic equipment, appliances, and circuit boxes. 
• Odorous house ants: This brown or black ant species is about the size of the crazy ant (1/16 to 1/8 inch), but they prefer to live near hot water pipes, around water-damaged wood, and near leaky fixtures. 
• Pavement ants: If you noticed ants in the driveway or pavement cracks or watched ants climb masonry walls, you likely encountered pavement ants. Pavement ants have a dark brown to black 1/8 inch body. 
• Carpenter ants: Arizona is home to two species of carpenter ants: the western black carpenter ant and the bicolored carpenter ant. While other ants create nests in the ground using dirt and other organic materials, this ant species bores through water-damaged wood to build its nests. Compared to other common Arizona ants, this red or black ant is larger and measures 5/8 inches long. 
• Fire ants: Arizona is home to the Southern fire ant species. Not to be confused with the red imported fire ants, these ants have a reddish amber head and a black abdomen creating a 1/8 to 1/4 inch body. They build mounds resembling small craters with a central hole in areas with bare soil and direct sun. Although these ants don't typically infest homes, they occasionally enter through AC units and HVAC systems.

Overson Pest Control provides ant control in Phoenix to protect you from the destructive tendency of ants and to provide you with peace of mind knowing that ants are not roaming around in your Phoenix home at night. 

The Potential Risks Of An Ant Infestation

All ants are a problem for Phoenix homeowners in one way or another. Ants crawl over rotting food, animal feces, and garbage, and these areas harbor bacteria. When the ants move through a house, the bacteria on their six legs come into contact with kitchen countertops, utensils, fruit on the counter, and other items and contaminate them. Food is expensive, and throwing out fruit and food products because ants have contaminated them is hard on the pocketbook!

Unlike most ants, crazy ants don't excavate to create nests; instead, they move into existing cavities inside walls, appliances, and electronic equipment. Crazy ants often have moisture on their bodies that can form a bridge between them and electrical circuits causing short circuits and damage to the equipment. Furthermore, when the crazy ants receive a jolt of energy, they release a pheromone to alert other ants that they are in danger, which causes ants to come to their aid and creates a bigger infestation and more damage.

Most ants are a nuisance, but carpenter ants can inflict structural damage to your Phoenix house. Carpenter ants do not eat wood like termites, but they bore tunnels in water-damaged wood in damp crawl spaces or underneath poorly ventilated decks and porches to create nests. A mature carpenter ant colony has between 10,000 to 50,000 workers; one can only imagine the damage they can incur as they weaken a home's structure over a long period.

Although they are less prone to entering homes, an infestation of fire ants can create potential danger zones in the house. When a fire ant colony is disturbed, the ants swarm onto the offender, bite to gain a footing, and sting the victim to inject painful venom. Fire ant venom creates a sore white pustule that itches and takes several days to heal. In some cases, the toxin may trigger anaphylactic shock requiring medical treatment.

When you schedule an ant control inspection, Overson Pest Control pest management professionals can determine the types of ants invading your Phoenix home and prescribe the best treatment to eradicate them from your house.

Tips And Tricks For Keeping Ants Out

Effective ant control not only requires the services of Overson Pest Control but includes these steps homeowners can take to deter ants from entering the house:

1. Remove rotting wood on the property. Decaying wood attracts carpenter ants, and once they establish a colony in your yard, the house is the next likely location.
2. Eliminate wood piles, rotting landscape timbers, fence posts, and scrap wood from the yard. If you use firewood, move it 20 feet from the house and elevate it to allow airflow.
3. Provide drainage around the house. Many ants like moisture, and some, like carpenter ants, prefer water-damaged wood. Ensure gutters are not clogged, downspouts empty away from the foundation, and ditches and low-lying areas quickly drain.
4. Eliminate debris in the yard. In addition to disposing of rotting wood, remove any water-collecting items, unnecessary rocks, logs, etc., where water may collect or be retained.
5. Seal entry points into the house. Ants as tiny as 1/16 of an inch invade Phoenix houses, so use caulk to cover any gap or crack larger than 1/16 inch. To find cracks, place someone in the crawl space with a flashlight at night while you inspect the exterior for light shining through cracks. 
6. Trim bushes and trees away from the house. Ants are excellent climbers who use branches to climb on roofs and window sills. Ants can enter through cracks in the roof line, around vents, utility boxes, and window frames.
7. Install door sweeps underneath exterior doors. These barriers will stop ants that travel in from the yard. Placing weather stripping around doors and windows will also prevent ants from entering the house.

These ant prevention tips will keep ants away after Overson Pest Control pest management professionals treat your house to remove existing ant populations and create barriers to stop future invasions.

Call The Pros For The Most Effective Ant Control In Phoenix

Removing an ant infestation is not as easy as purchasing a store-bought product. Although those products provide initial satisfaction as you watch ants die from contact, they often fail to destroy the ant nests and the next generation of developing ants. Another consideration is that DIY products may not always be the safest around pets and children.

Using the best ant control service near your home, Overson Pest Control is how you remove ants from your Phoenix house. When we inspect your house, we will identify entry points, attractions, and the culprit causing problems. We will develop a plan for treating the house and using baits for ants. Unlike a store-bought product, we have a 100% satisfaction guarantee and will do what is necessary to get rid of ants in your Phoenix house. When you call, we will not make you wait a week or several days but will provide you with next-day service so we can relieve the stress from pests as quickly as possible. Contact us today to learn more and start your services from Overson Pest Control: "A Name You Can Trust."