Have you seen tiny uninvited guests in your home this summer?
We know how ants can show up out of nowhere, and some can even damage your home.
To find out why they chose your home, read till the end of this article.
You may potentially save your place from insect damage!
Why do ants come in the house in summer?
Ants want the water and food in your home, and they also wish to shelter from hungry birds. Ants are very active during summer, and many of the insects they hunt down venture into your cool home during the summer. So when these insects think your home can provide them with all those amenities, they walk right in!
How Do Ants Come into The House?
All types of food can attract ants.
They are better at finding things to eat than humans because of their evolved antennae.
The antennae are essentially their nose.
They can smell food from afar, and the ants in the backyard can smell food in the living room and kitchen.
They will try to find their way into your home, searching for the food source, such as leftover dog food, sugar-based items like honey and fruit, or any greasy meals. (Read More)
The entry points could be through a small opening in the window, front door, or the home’s foundation.
On their way in, ants leave a chemical trail. This path will help in calling in their buddies from their ant colony.
Ants are social insects which means they work together to invade your home.
As time progresses, and when left unchecked, your home can develop a mild to severe ant infestation.
It is crucial to identify the type of infestation.
You can get rid of most ant species using a few tips and tricks we have mentioned below. On the other hand, to rid your home of some specific types, you may need to call a pest control professional.
For that reason, we have described the types below. Please read this article till the end for DIY infestation prevention techniques and unique solutions!
Which Ant Species Come Inside Your Home During Summer
Ants are cold-blooded insects, which means they hibernate in the winters and come out to feast in the warmer weather.
Some colonies love to nest inside your home, while others take the goods back to the colony. (See Why)
They build new nests in your home during the warm weather and store food.
Ant colonies have queens, males, and worker ants.
Mostly, the ones you see crawling around your house are worker ants.
Below are the common types of ants and their diet.
Removing their preferred diet from your home or covering it up in storage containers or plastic bags is the first step to addressing the problem.
Carpenter ants – Eats dog food, sugar, and meat.
Carpenter ants (pictured above) are among the worst pests inside a home during the summer.
Similar to other problems like termites, they cause damage to the wooden structure of your home.
You might be wondering why it would do that. After all, that wooden flooring costs a lot of money!
This is because carpenter ants nest inside the wood used in building your home, burrowing in tunnels and pathways.
They do so mainly in the hot weather. They are known as house inhabiting ants that eat your dog’s food.
While they will not eat the structure of your house, carpenter ants tunneling behind wet and damp wood can quickly become a problem in the summer.
Since wet wood attracts carpenter ants, keep an eye on old and abandoned wood during the summer months.
Pavement ants – Eat Anything Edible.
Pavement ants nest in the cracks of concrete and pavements.
These insects do come into the home searching for something to eat in the summer months.
They take your food, go home to their ant farms, and tend not to nest inside.
They eat almost any edible item in your home and also dead insects. Gross? Absolutely.
Little black ants – eat oily, greasy food and vegetables.
Have you seen little black ants crawling all over the pizza you left in the kitchen?
Their power lies in numbers. The little black ants can have up to 2000 worker black ants which look for food (from one colony).
They can nest inside your home in wooden structures, behind the fireplace, or in a kitchen corner.
Experts say their sting does not hurt.
But they can spoil the pizza you were planning to also have for dinner.
They are attracted to oily, greasy meal sources and also vegetables.
Odorous house ants – love eating sugar & honey.
Have you ever killed an ant in your home and noticed a weird smell?
That would be an odorous house ant.
They search indoors in the summer to find food and moisture because the rain washes off the honeydew (which they usually feed on) from the trees.
Thief ants – Steals from others.
Moving on to rather sneaky types, the thief ants live near ant nests.
They pretend to be part of the group, but when everyone is busy working or playing games, these guys steal the goods and run for it.
Does Pest Control Work?
Pest control can work to scare off ants looking for a food source based on sugar in the summer.
Most ants have a sugary-based diet (carbohydrates), which is effective against most ants, such as carpenters and pharaoh ants.
A few other ants are not looking for sugar.
Identifying the type of ants is crucial in addressing your ant problem.
Pavement ants are primarily looking for greasy kinds of foods, most insects, and other items you’d see in a restaurant during the summer.
Do you wish to get rid of ants once and for all?
That’s great! We can help you with that.
Our brief guide below will help prevent ants from future infestations.
How to Deal With an Ant Infestation in Your Home?
- Cover up or throw away leftover pet food.
- Put uneaten food items in the fridge.
- Store cookies and snacks in airtight containers.
- Remove food sources from near the windows, especially that of sweet or greasy nature.
- Check for and fix breaks in the home foundation that brings ants.
- Thoroughly clean your home, removing dead insects that may attract other insects.
- Use pest and cinnamon oil spray in the cracks of wood and home foundations. This spray will kill carpenter, citronella ants, and more ants nest inside.
- Fix any leaky faucets and empty standing water to remove moisture.
- If all the above seems like a lot of effort, you can contact an ant control company to send in a pest control professional.
- Following the tips above will not only prevent an ant infestation but also prevent, to some degree, houseflies and other insects from staying inside. It made our home look neat, too!
- Attracts & Kills – Kills common household ants including acrobat, crazy, ghost,...
- Kills the Ants You See & the Ones You Don't – As worker ants discover the bait,...
- Works Fast – You should see a significant decrease in the number of ants visiting...
- Ready to Use – Place the bait stations, watch it attract ants, and eliminate the...
Other Articles Answering Some Common Ant Questions
When it comes to ants, there are so many questions.
We go into detail answering some of these common questions on our website.
Here are some of those posts:
