What Every Houston Property Owner Needs To Know About Crazy Ants
An ant brain is approximately one-millionth the size of a human brain. As you could guess, this makes them incapable of having detailed and intricate thought processes. All that most ants have is the firing of synapses that tell them to avoid danger, to follow pheromones, and to collect food. Keeping this in mind, how is it that a whole species of ant could be crazy? Is it something in their wiring, or did something drive them to madness? We will be addressing this confusion today, and giving you some practical ways to keep these pests out of your Houston home.
What Are Crazy Ants
If you didn’t know, crazy ants got their name for the way they erratically move. This behavior is entirely genetic and doesn’t have anything to do with their upbringing. Something in their tiny brains tells them to make drastic turns and spastic movements, so they do. Besides the jerky way they move, crazy ants are also identifiable by their dark brown to black bodies and gray sheen. Around homes, these pests will scavenge for and feed on dead insects, fruits, honeydew, and other sweet or meaty foods.
Crazy ants will typically build their nests outdoors beneath the ground or under debris. It is only when temperatures drop outside, or when the weather becomes rough that these erratic pests will look to find shelter indoors. If you do not seal your home’s walls properly before winter hits, these pests might invade and share your living space with you all the way to spring and possibly longer. Might be time to call in the experts at Modern Pest Control to safeguard your home!
Are Crazy Ants Dangerous?
Crazy ants do not pose the same threats other pests do. They don’t spread dangerous diseases, they do not have stingers, and they rarely bite. Even when they do bite, the formic acid they release into bite wounds is in no way harmful to humans. The biggest problems these pests pose are with the nuisance they cause and the food they contaminate.
Step One To Crazy Ant Prevention: Seal Your Home’s Exterior
Due to their small size, crazy ants can be challenging to prevent. With a bit of vigilance and a keen eye, however, there are ways to exclude these tricky pests. Here are a few great places to start with this:
Use a caulking gun or a tube of liquid cement to fill in gaps, cracks, and holes in your home’s exterior foundation and spacing around window and door frames.
Make sure all of your exterior doors are equipped with tight-fitting door sweeps.
Replace or repair weatherstripping around your home that is damaged or losing its hold.
Fix window and door screens that are ripped or not seated properly.
Keep unscreened windows and doors closed as much as possible.
Step Two To Crazy Ant Prevention: Eliminate Attractants
Crazy ants need three things to survive, food, shelter, and moisture. If crazy ants can’t find these three necessities inside your home, they will be much less likely to stick around even if they do get inside. To eliminate these attractants, try these simple tricks:
Remove debris and clutter around your property.
Trim back tree branches and bushes from your home’s exterior.
Fix leaky piping and fixtures in and around your home.
Make sure your air conditioning units and dehumidifiers are not leaking.
Eliminate the sources of standing water around your property.
Clean your home at least once a week and do not neglect to get under large appliances and furniture.
Pick up after your pets and clean out their food and water bowls after they have finished with them.
Step Three To Crazy Ant Prevention: Hire A Professional
If you do not have the time to prevent crazy ants, let the experts at Modern Pest Control help. Our team has everything your home and property needs to get and stay pest-free year-round. Reach out to us today at Modern Pest Control to find out what quality pest control services could look like around your Houston property. Let us find your freedom from troublesome pests like crazy ants!