How to Take Care of an Ant Infestation

Proudly Serving South Carolina | North Carolina | Georgia | Florida


Ants on a table

How to Take Care of an Ant Infestation – The Short Answer

  • Common Problem: Ant infestations are frequent, especially in spring and summer when ants search for food and water.
  • Potential Damage: Most ants are harmless, but carpenter ants can cause structural damage by burrowing into wood.
  • Best Solution: While DIY remedies exist, the most effective way to eliminate an infestation is to hire a professional.

Ways to Prevent an Ant Infestation

  • Food Storage:
    • Do not leave food out on counters.
    • Store food in airtight containers.
    • Keep pet food in an enclosed container.
  • Home Maintenance:
    • Seal any entry points where ants can enter.
    • Eliminate standing water sources.
    • Replace any soft or decaying wood.
  • Professional Help:
    • Consider a preventative ant control service to avoid infestations before they start.

Cost and Dangers of Ant Infestations

  • Structural Damage:
    • Carpenter ants create tunnel networks in wood, causing expensive repairs.
  • Food Contamination:
    • Pavement ants don’t damage homes but can contaminate food.
  • Health Risks:
    • Fire ants swarm and sting, potentially causing allergic reactions that require medical attention.

Getting Rid of an Ant Infestation

  • Killing a few ants won’t solve the problem – you must target the entire colony.
  • Professional exterminators can identify the ant species and create a customized treatment plan.
  • Rocket Pest offers 65+ years of expertise in eliminating ant infestations.
  • Call Rocket Pest for free expert advice to rid your home of ants effectively!

Taking Care of Ant Infestations – The Full Answer

Walking into your kitchen and seeing a black line of ants marching from your pantry back to their colony can be extremely frustrating for anyone. Ant infestations are extremely common, especially in the spring and summer when ants are most active and looking for food and water to help feed the rest of the colony. It can be very difficult to avoid an infestation sometimes. Ants are usually harmless to your home unless you’re dealing with carpenter ants which will burrow into the wood of a home and may cause structural damage. There are many home remedies and products available to keep ants out of your home but the most reliable way to stop or prevent an ant infestation is to seek the help of an experienced professional.

Ways to Prevent an Ant Infestations

Although it can be difficult to completely avoid an ant infestation, knowing what causes and attracts ants is the first step in the battle of keeping them away. Worker ants will enter a home looking for food or water to bring back to their colonies. Once they find a food source, a worker ant will alert other members of the colony to the location of the food and start an infestation. A few helpful ways to keep ants out of your home are:

  • Do not leave food out on counters
  • Store food in airtight containers
  • Ensure pet food is in an enclosed container
  • Find and fix any points of entry
  • Eliminate sources of standing water
  • Replace wood that is soft or decaying
  • Use a professional preventative ant control service

While most ants will not cause damage to a home or its inhabitants, ants like carpenter ants and fire ants can pose a danger to either your home or family which makes ant prevention extremely important. Using these preventative measures can not only help keep ants away but also other pests as well.

Cost and Dangers of Ant Infestations

Ant infestations can be both expensive and dangerous for homeowners. The cheapest and easiest way to deal with ant infections is prevention. Ants, like carpenter ants, will burrow into the wood creating a vast tunnel network for their colony. These tunnels can cause dangerous structural damage and can be extremely expensive to repair. While pavement ants will not cause structural damage to your home like a carpenter ant, the cost of replacing products that they have contaminated can begin to add up quickly. Fire ants are known for swarming and stinging those who disturb their nest. Their stings are usually a mild irritant but can occasionally cause a reaction that may require medical intervention making them a potentially dangerous and expensive pest to have around a home.

Getting Rid of an Ant Infestation

Getting rid of an ant infestation can be difficult. Killing a few ants as you see them will not be effective. To truly stop an ant infestation you will need the help of a professional like those at Rocket Pest to identify the type of ant infestation and create a tailored plan to rid your home of ants and keep them from coming back. At Rocket Pest, we have over 65 years of expert experience eliminating ant infestations and keeping your home a safe place to live. Call Rocket Pest for free expert advice and rid your home of ants!

Back to Ant Exterminators