For your Home
Login or register for the customer portal
You have probably had this happen many times in your Raleigh home. You walk downstairs in the spring and you see a trail of ants coming from seemingly nowhere and all over your kitchen floor or kitchen counter. Ants are one of the most common pests throughout the world with hundreds of varieties of the insect. Different ant species are commonly found in Raleigh but all have different behaviors, they are generally looking for food to bring back to their nests.
If you have a business, ants can be just a much of a problem as they are around the home. Ants in the food processing industry in Raleigh can cost businesses thousands of dollars. Ants can get inside a building from the smallest of cracks, which makes them hard to keep out.
Ehrlich Pest Control in Raleigh are your local ant control experts. We offer solutions to residents and business owners to get rid of ant infestations and prevent them from returning.
Ants are tiny insects, usually social, within the scientific family Formicidae. This means they are also part of the same family as wasps and bees. More than likely, ants and wasps shared a common ancestor many millions of years ago, with ants splitting off onto their own.
Ants are social. They build large nests and communities and each of the ants have specific roles they must fulfill within the colony. There is an ant queen which lays eggs and gives birth to the colony. There are workers who provide sustenance and care for the colony. There are even soldier ants who protect the colony from invaders.
In the Raleigh, NC, area, there are very few ants which pose a serious health threat. Although there are ants which bite and sting, and nearly any species of ant might also bite if threatened, there are few in the Raleigh area which fall into these categories.
There are ants in North America which can sting and bite. Red Imported Fire Ants, prefer warm areas of the country and are predominantly in areas like California or Texas. For people who find themselves swarmed by a fire ant colony, this can pose a health risk.
In general, ants in Raleigh are nuisance pests. They may walk across substances like those found in sewers or drain pipes and trail bacteria across kitchen counters or food preparation services, but they are generally not known as disease vectors. Ants will devour food in cupboards, pantries and on kitchen counters, however, and can be costly if the infestation is not stopped.
Ants are constantly looking for food. Although ants do rest, when they are awake, they are seeking food to bring back to their colonies. Scout ants will get into a home if their senses detect sources of food and can use just about any crack or hole in the walls or foundation. Ants can also get into homes using drains or holes in screens or just crawling beneath exterior doors which do not have sweeps reaching the ground.
Ants who find food then lay down trails across the floor and leading back to the nest. This causes other workers within the colony to come out, following the chemical trails, to the food source. Thus, ants get into your Raleigh home to try and get to food.
The best way to deter ants from coming into your home or building is to conduct a detailed inspection of the building. Any holes in the foundation should be sealed. Look for holes that are left via cables leading from the exterior to the interior, such as cable TV cables. Windows without screens should have screens installed and any holes within screens should be repaired. Check foundations, basements and crawlspaces to find cracks there and seal them. Finally, garage doors, or any exterior doors, should have sweeps installed on the bottom which extend all the way to the ground to prevent them from entering.
Within your home, make sure food is sealed up. If you have pet food outside, store it in sealed containers. Vacuum and sweep the floors of kitchens and other areas, to ensure crumbs and dropped food are cleaned up. Mopping and cleaning floors on the ground level can go a long way toward preventing ants from finding anything within the building the ants will want to take back to the colony.
Ehrlich Pest Control specialists know all about the ants in Raleigh. We can discuss the ants you are seeing around your home and property. Ehrlich specialists are highly trained and understand what the species of ants are inside and around your property. We will then offer solutions to get rid of the ants as well as solutions and advice to prevent return infestations.
The first step to get rid of ants around your property is to contact the local Raleigh Ehrlich Pest Control office. Talk to one of our specialists who will use their expertise to get rid of the ants and prevent them from coming back.