Is Professional Ant Control An Absolute Necessity in Honolulu?

Ants are a year-round problem in the entire state of Hawaii. There are many types of invasive ants that call Honolulu home. Ants live in large groups. If you see one ant in your home, there is a good chance that there are thousands more hiding nearby. When you have ants in your home, you will likely need the help of a professional Honolulu pest control specialist to get rid of them all. At Pest Tech Hawaii, we have years of experience identifying and eliminating ants from this area. Here is a look at what you should do if you spot ants roaming around your property. 

Clear Signs Of An Ant Infestation In Your Home

Ants are tiny insects that usually only measure around ? of an inch in length. Typically, homeowners can determine if they have an ant infestation in their homes when they see these small creatures crawling around in their homes. However, an ant's small size makes it easy to overlook. Even if you cannot see ants with your own eyes, there are still a few ways to determine if you have ants in your home. Some of the telltale signs that you have an ant infestation include:

• Ant mounds in your yard and around the exterior of your home
• Sawdust or dirt around the baseboards of your home
• Small holes in the wooden surfaces around your house
• A long line of ants traveling on walls and other areas of your house

There are certain types of ants, called swarmers, that have wings and will fly around looking for a new place to build their ant colony. If you notice tiny, white, discarded wings on your windowsill or by the doors of your home, that could indicate that you have an ant infestation. 

How Dangerous Is It To Have Ants In My House?

Many of the ants that live in this area are not picky eaters. They will eat any type of food, even if it is old and rotten. These tiny scavengers will look for food in garbage cans and other unsanitary places. While they are crawling over these filthy surfaces, they will often pick up a wide range of bacteria and viruses, which they will then pass along to you by crawling over your food. Some of the different illnesses that you can catch from having ants in your home include:

• Staph infections
• Streptococcus
• Salmonellosis
• Clostridium difficile
• E. coli infection
• Shigellosis

The tropical fire ant and the little fire ant are both commonly found in Honolulu. These ants are able to bite and sting their victims, which can cause a lot of pain and minor swelling. However, some people are allergic to fire ant stings and can experience more severe allergic reactions, including serious symptoms like trouble breathing and dizziness. 

Many people are unaware that they are allergic to fire ants until they are stung by one. This is why it is always a good idea to contact a professional pest control specialist as soon as you see an ant in your home. 

Tips To Prevent Ant Reinfestation

If you are able to rid your home of the pesky ants, there are a few steps that you should try to ensure that they do not come back. Some of the ways to prevent ants from infesting your home include:

• Keep the grass in your yard cut short and keep your entire landscape well-maintained.
• Don't leave pet food dishes sitting out all day and all night.
• Store all food in containers that have a seal or a tight lid.
• Wipe off countertops often and sweep your floors to ensure there are no food crumbs lying around.
• Seal up any cracks or gaps around the exterior of your home.

If you see a trail of ants crawling inside your home, clean up the trail immediately. Ants will leave pheromones in the trail to tell the other ants in the colony where to go. By removing the trail and cleaning off the pheromones from the surface, you will be able to stop more ants from joining the line. 

Call The Pros At The First Sign Of Ants In Your House

The best method for total ant control in your home is to take action at the first sign of an ant. At Pest Tech Hawaii, we know how to find and remove the ants from your home for good. If you think that you might have an ant infestation in your Honolulu home, give us a call today!