ARE ANTS BUGGING YOU ALREADY?

It may still may be a chill in the air and there may still be snow on the ground, but spring will be here before we know it. As the temperatures start to warm up and the spring season begins, many will find insects of all types waking up from their winter hibernation. But what if you are already seeing ants inside your New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, or Eastern Shore of Maryland home? Does this mean you have an infestation? The pest control experts at Viking Pest Control have a few tips to prevent ants from invading your home now, and when the spring arrives.

Carpenter ants may be spotted rummaging through your kitchen even in these colder months. We often assume that ant colonies are underground and outside, but the fact is that some ants form colonies inside of homes. Carpenter ants who carve their way through moist and decaying wood, could be carving paths in the beams, siding, rafters, and decks of your home. Although they do not eat wood like termites, carpenter ants can still cause substantial damage to the structures in your home. This time of the year is generally too cold for an entire colony of ants to be active so the ants that you have spotted could be from a satellite colony. Satellite colonies contain many worker ants, but do not have a queen laying eggs.

How Can I Prevent Carpenter Ants?

Any signs of ants spotted right now in your home are probably just a few workers looking for spills or sweets in your kitchen. These may not be a sign of a major infestation, but it is still a good idea to help prevent a big ant problem in the spring time. Here are a few ways the ant control experts at Viking Pest Control recommend to prevent carpenter ants from getting into your wood structures and your kitchen cupboards:

• Replace any rotten or dead wood in your home
• Seal exposed wood to prevent moisture from causing damage
• Keep your property clear of rotten or destroyed wood
• Stack your firewood away from your home and bring it in only as needed
• Store your open shelf food in containers with tight fitting lids
• Keep your kitchen counters and food surfaces clean and sanitized

Hopefully, you will not have to worry about carpenter ants through the rest of the winter or when the weather heats up. In order to keep them from getting into your home and causing damage to any wood structures, follow the prevention tips listed above and be sure to call the NJ, PA, MD, and DE pest control experts if you do spot signs of ants. Your local pest management experts at Viking pest Control can help get rid of the few ants in your home or remove the entire colony in the case of an infestation. No matter what time of the year, if ants are bugging you, contact Viking Pest Control, for a pest-free home!