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As their name suggests, odorous house ants spend a lot of time crawling around Phoenix homes. They can grow up to 1/4 inch in length and have unevenly-shaped thoraxes, but they're most known for the sweet, rotting odor they emit when crushed. Speaking of crushing odorous house ants, how hard are they to kill or eliminate from your home?
Here's what Phoenix homeowners should know about how odorous house ant infestations happen, how to get rid of odorous house ants, and how to kill odorous house ants with pest control in Phoenix.
Odorous House Ants In Your Home Doesn't Mean It's Dirty
Many people associate ants with a dirty home or unsanitary housekeeping practices. Although leaving out leftovers, especially sweets, can entice ants and increase the risk of a house ant infestation, this isn't the only reason you may have an ant problem.
Odorous house ants, like many pests, may also enter Phoenix homes because they're looking for warmth, shelter, or moisture. Your home may be spotless, but if you have a few leaky pipes, you could still attract odorous house ants.
So, while a dirty or disorganized home does make it easier for odorous house ants to find food and water, there are other reasons why you may still get ants. And, just because you clean up your home doesn't mean you'll automatically get rid of odorous house ants either.
Odorous house ants are small and opportunistic enough to find even the tiniest crumbs or scraps, so preventing and getting rid of odorous house ants is more complicated than you might think.
Will Odorous House Ants Go Away On Their Own?
As mentioned above, odorous house ants aren't likely to leave just because they're having trouble finding food or you've cleaned up your home. Rather than leave, odorous house ants may just become a bigger nuisance. Every time you prepare or eat food, you may find odorous house ants crawling across counters or tables, ready to pick up the scraps.
If you ignore the infestation and leave it untreated, the colony will only get bigger until it's impossible to ignore or deal with on your own. Even using DIY treatments, like ant traps and baits, aren't always effective ways to get rid of odorous house ants. These methods may kill off some of the ants in your home, but they are unlikely to completely get rid of the infestation.
How To Prevent An Ant Reinfestation In Your Home
If you've already dealt with odorous house ants once, you're unlikely to want to ever do it again. While you can't leave existing infestations untreated or count on ants leaving on their own, you can prevent odorous house ants in the future, and here's how:
- Don't leave any kind of food or open beverages sitting out, especially those containing protein or sweets.
- If you've dirtied any dishes, make sure you're cleaning them in a timely manner and not letting them sit in your sink overnight.
- Don't allow spills or other scraps to sit on counters or tables for long periods of time, instead make sure you're cleaning them up quickly.
- Use a vacuum or broom to sweep in kitchens, living rooms, and other areas of the home where you eat or prepare food.
- Make sure you're using high-quality trash bags that won't leak or rip, and you're not leaving your trash can uncovered.
- Use expanding foam or caulk to seal up tiny cracks and crevices where ants may get inside your home.
- Keep a close eye out for ant trails around your kitchen or where you store your trash cans.
Working with a professional pest control company can also help you prevent odorous house ant infestations in the future.
How Can I Get Rid Of Odorous House Ants Permanently?
You can use the tips above to decrease the chances of a future infestation. Still, if you need to get rid of odorous house ants that are already in your home, your best option is to use a professional pest control company like Green Home Pest Control. Not only do we have effective, permanent solutions that'll keep odorous house ants away for good, but our treatments are gentle on the environment too.
If you keep spotting odorous house ants around your home, or another type of nuisance ant, you shouldn't count on these pests to leave on their own. Instead, contact us today at Green Home Pest Control to learn more about how our ant control services can make your Phoenix home ant-free.
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