Ants are one of the bugs that tend to bother people the least. Without the creepiness of spiders or centipedes, the disease potential of flies, and the painful bites of mosquitoes (at least for most ant species), many people are less worried when they see an ant inside their home.

But this does not mean that ants are a pest you can ignore. Among the local ant species in Gainesville, some can cause unseen damage to your property. Other infestations will simply continue to grow worse until ants are everywhere unless you intervene.

Problems Ant Species in Northern Virginia Cause

What you can expect when you have an ant infestation near your home depends on the type of ants. There are four main species that live in or near homes in the area and will venture inside to find food. These are:

• Carpenter Ants
• Odorous House Ants
• Pavement Ants
• Little Black Ants

Of these species, carpenter ants are the ones that can cause damage to your home. They build their nests in wooden structures and will chew away at the wood to create the tunnels they live in. These tunnels will weaken the overall structure and could require expensive repairs if enough damage occurs.

The other three ant types are harmless, although odorous house ants can leave behind a gross smell if they are crushed. The ants will not spread diseases, result in property damage, or bite people.

The one exception is fire ants. These red colored ants do have a painful bite and are aggressive. They are also not native to Virginia and only rarely found in the area. If you discover a nest, extreme caution is necessary and professional pest control is recommended to ensure they are safely removed.

Still, seeing one ant inside of your home isn’t typically a problem. The problem is that it is never one ant.

Ants are social creatures that live in colonies of thousands. They navigate by leaving behind a trail of pheromones which other ants in their colony will follow. This is why it is so common to see a line of ants making its way across your counter or up your wall. If you see one ant but do not address it, there’s a good chance that it will send a message back to other ants to follow, and soon you will have a complete infestation on your hands.

Why Ongoing Pest Control is the Right Solution for Ants

When you see an ant or even a couple them, crushing them seems like an easy answer to your pest problems. But where there is one ant, there are hundreds nearby.

Ongoing pest control can deal with any ants that have already found their way inside. But it also goes further. We prevent scouting ants from getting onto your property by applying treatments around the perimeter. Ants cannot cross this border and will relay back to their colony that your home has no available food sources, forcing them to go elsewhere.

At ExtermPRO, our bi-monthly or quarterly pest control keeps the ant barriers fresh and effective throughout the year. If ants have been a continuous problem for you, learn how we can affordably keep them away for good by calling us about our ant control services.