Preventing Summertime Ant Infestations with Effective Strategies

When you see ants go marching two by two across your kitchen counter, the last thing you want to do is shout hurrah. As the weather warms up, ants begin to search for whatever sources of food and water they can find, and what's better for an ant than the smorgasbord in your kitchen? Don't fret - Mosquito Squad can help keep your home protected from ant intruders this season.

Why do ants show up in the summer?

Ants are most active during the warmer months, typically between March and October. As the temperature rises, ants become more active in their search for food and water. Because ants are social insects, each part of a colony has a "job." One of those jobs is to scout for potential food sources. They are especially attracted to sugary substances, crumbs, and even pet food left out in the open. Once a scout finds a suitable source, it will return to its colony, leaving behind a pheromone trail for other ants to follow. After this occurs, chances are you'll have an infestation on your hands in no time.

What kinds of ants are most prevalent in Oklahoma City?

In Oklahoma, some of the most common species of ants you'll find are:

• Odorous House Ants: Small and brown and particularly attracted to sweets; emit a distinctive, rotten coconut-like smell when crushed.
• Acrobat Ants: Easily identified by their heart-shaped abdomens; tend to nest near areas with high moisture levels
• Red Imported Fire Ants: Dark reddish-brown; known to deliver painful bites
• Little Black Ants: Very tiny and love to be indoors; extremely hardy, very difficult to manage

How can I prevent ant infestations in my home?

If you're worried about ants this coming summer, there are steps you can take to minimize the possibility of ant infestations in your home:

• Remove food sources: Store food in airtight containers, clean up spills immediately, and avoid leaving dirty dishes in the sink.
• Seal entry points: Seal cracks and crevices in walls, floors, and windows to prevent ants from entering your home.
• Cleanliness: Regularly sweep and mop floors, wipe down countertops, and empty trash cans.
• Moisture control: Fix leaky pipes and faucets and ensure proper drainage around your home's foundation.
• Pet bowls: Clean pet bowls regularly and avoid leaving food and water out overnight.

What can I do to control an ant infestation in my home?

There is no single magical solution that you can implement on your own to effectively address an ant infestation. The complexity of ant infestations requires a multi-faceted approach if you hope to find relief. There are several reasons for this. First of all, ant colonies, regardless of species, are complex, and a single colony can be home to thousands of ants. Plus, ants have evolved to be very proactive about protecting themselves. They tend to hide in hidden, hard-to-reach places. Finally, ants are very adaptable and resilient. 

Have you ever seen the film A Bug's Life? In the movie, when faced with a problem, the colony of ants modifies their behavior to deal with it - that's more than just movie magic. When faced with a change to their environment, they can modify their habits quickly, so that sometimes it can be difficult to predict their behaviors.

It isn't realistic to try just one strategy and hope that it will take care of your ant problem, especially if you're trying to go the DIY route. Instead, you'll have to approach the issue from multiple directions, and it may take days or even weeks of diligence before you see any result. That's why your best course of action would be to seek professional ant control from a pest control company like Mosquito Squad because our industrial-grade treatments yield results more quickly than anything you can do on your own.

Why should I turn to Mosquito Squad for help with ant control?

Instead of putting a ton of time, money, and effort into strategies with dubious effectiveness, you can give Mosquito Squad a call for powerful ant control. You won't have to run around town looking for supplies or feel like you're juggling ten extra chores - instead, we'll take on all the work. We'll use a combination of methods to fight back against the ants in and around your home:

• Our potent protective barrier treatment lays an invisible shield around your home, making it less appealing to would-be pest invaders.
• We'll lay baits containing insecticides, which scouts will carry back to their colonies, resulting in a dramatically reduced population.
• For fire ants especially, we'll use broadcast granules that can cause a colony to essentially collapse within minutes.
• If necessary, we have a drench solution that we can pour directly into the ant mound to quickly minimize ant populations.

Get help with your ant problem today - start with a free quote by calling us at (405) 792-0230 or calling us online!