What Happens If I Ignore An Ant Infestation In Chandler?

The Role Ants Play In Our Ecosystem

There are many ways ants benefit our world. Unfortunately, the ways ants provide benefits may, in some cases, create problems when they enter your yard or invade your home.  

• They feed on dead animals, dead insects, decomposing organic matter, and waste. They turn these into fertilizer. In nature, their ability to break down plant and animal materials is an incredible benefit. But their attraction to decaying matter and animal droppings exposes ants to harmful microorganisms. These invisible germs can be spread to food packages, cooking surfaces, dishes, silverware, and more. 
• Ants provide a food source for other animals. If there were no ants in the world, many animals would go hungry and become extinct. Ants provide an incredible food source because there are so many of them. Unfortunately, ants that get into your home and stay can provide a food source for pests. That is definitely a downside.   
• They help with pollination. Ants love nectar and plant sap. As they go from flower to flower, they spread pollen. That helps to make flowering plants healthy. But ants also love honeydew, which comes from plant-damaging insects such as aphids, white flies, and scale insects. Some ants love honeydew so much that they protect aphids which creates conditions for increased plant damage and pest activity. 
• Ants assist plants with getting essential water and oxygen. You likely know that plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen, but plants also need oxygen to live. Ants help them get water and oxygen by aerating the soil. Aeration allows rainwater and oxygen to get to the roots of plants where it is needed. But ants can do their job too well. When weeds appear in your lawn, ant hills can appear shortly after. As more ant hills appear, weeds will take over and your turfgrass will suffer. What happens is the aeration provides a benefit to the weed plants but the ant mounds smother the grass.

In most cases, these problems are mild. You can suck ants up with your vacuum and keep things clean to reduce the risk of stomach illness and other issues related to ant infestations, and there are many things you can do around your home to deter plant-damaging insects and lawn weeds. You don't have to turn to professional pest control for problems like these.    

All The Problems Ants Can Cause In The House

You may tolerate occasional stomach ailments, the routine appearance of spiders and centipedes in your home, ant mounds, weed issues, and holes in your ornamental plants, but there are some problems ants cause that you shouldn't ignore. Here are a few to consider.

• Wood damage. Some ants can damage the wood of your home. They're called carpenter ants. If you see a large black, red, or black and red ant, you should take notice. These ants are the largest ants that get into Chandler homes. The workers are ¼ to ½ inches long, and the alates (winged ants) are twice that size. Seeing a big ant inside your home is a warning sign that you have a carpenter ant infestation. Over time, these ants can do quite a bit of damage. How much damage they do to your home depends on the conducive conditions present. 
• Electrical outages. Some ants get into electrical boxes and cause lights to go out. They chew on wire coating and cause electrical shorts by allowing the current to pass through their bodies. While several ants are exterminated when this happens, it doesn't stop them from continuing to cause bizarre electrical problems as they continue to infest.
• Fire ant bites. In our region, we deal with Southern fire ants. In many cases, they are just an annoyance. But a sting from a fire ant can present a serious threat to individuals with a stinging insect allergy. You should know that a stinging insect allergy can develop over time. You may have had these insects sting you several times growing up and assume you aren't allergic. That can put you at risk. Talk to an allergist to find out for sure if you still do not react to stinging insect venom.   

If you ignore an ant problem, it could come back to bite you—literally if you have fire ants. While you can ignore ant problems, or use general pest control to manage ants, it is best to get professional ant control when ants present serious problems.  

Will An Ant Infestation Go Away On Its Own?

Yes. Ant infestations can go away on their own, but not really. It is possible to see hundreds of ants invading your home one day and see no ants the next. There are two reasons why this might happen.

• An ant infestation can seem to disappear if they acquire all of the food they entered your home to eat, or if the unsanitary conditions that attracted them are addressed.

• Ants may go back outside if the conditions that drove them indoors change, such as heavy rain or changing temperatures.

But when ants go away on their own, your ant problems don't go away. Ants will continue to enter your home and cause trouble again when they find a food source or favorable conditions.

What happens when you ignore an ant infestation? It depends on what kind of ants get into your home.

• Odorous house ants, and certain other ant species, create indoor nests in homes that provide conditions that are favorable for living.

• Carpenter ants may damage your home secretly for years. Black carpenter ants are particularly troublesome. You should contact a pest management professional when you see black carpenter ants in your home. 

• Fire ants create an indoor stinging threat. If you have an infant or someone in your home who is unable to get away from these stinging pests, fire ants can present a serious issue. It is always best to get professional fire ant control.

Ants are mostly annoying and we put up with them in our yards because they provide some benefits as long as they don't start to take over. But, when ants cause trouble, it is time to look for effective ant control solutions. What is the best ant control for homeowners?