When it comes to pests, bigger is often badder. Large pests like rats, squirrels, and mice can cause destruction and spread disease on your property. Surprisingly, though, small pests can be much more frustrating to deal with.
Tiny pavement ants are especially difficult to eliminate once an infestation develops. These ants not only cause stress but contaminate food and surfaces they come in contact with. So if you’re dealing with an invasion of pesky pavement ants, here’s what to do about pavement ants on your Alabama property.
About Pavement Ants
Pavement ants are a small type of ant measuring between just 1/10 and 1/8 inch in length. They typically have a black or dark brown coloration and can be recognized for the dirt mounds they construct at the entrances of their colonies. Pavement ants are common throughout the continental United States and can be seen scurrying around on driveways, sidewalks, and parking lots from Maine to Mississippi.
These ants will eat just about anything. Whether it’s fruit, grains, nuts, or even other insects, pavement ants will chow down on whatever is available. And that’s bad news if pavement ants find their way indoors.
How Dangerous Are Pavement Ants?
Unlike aggressive fire ants, pavement ants don’t sting and can’t really inflict much harm with their little jaws. They aren’t especially hostile, but they can spread disease to food and surfaces. As they scavenge for food, pavement ants sometimes pick up nasty pathogens that they can then transmit. So, it’s best to keep them out.
The danger of pavement ants is the stress that they cause. These ants are hard to get rid of and will survive most attacks. A colony of pavement ants can have thousands of members, so even if you manage to kill off dozens, the population won’t be seriously affected.
Pavement ant colonies often have more than one queen, which makes bait traps and other store-bought pesticides ineffective. Even if one queen is killed, others will still be around laying eggs and propagating the colony. You can invest lots of time and money into getting rid of these ants to no avail.
Preventing Pavement Ants
Pavement ants are hard to get rid of, but preventing them can be relatively easy with the right method. With a few simple adjustments around your property, you can keep pavement ants away:
- Control moisture. Make sure there are no leaky pipes or spigots causing water to accumulate around your property. Empty out any sources of standing water you may find, such as pet bowls and flower pots.
- Do some housework. Simply cleaning up can make the biggest difference. Make sure that all food spills are wiped up quickly and that areas where you cook and eat are cleaned regularly.
- Store your snacks. Keep your pantry items stored in sturdy containers made of heavy plastic, glass, or metal.
- Take out the trash. Use trash bins with tight-sealing lids and always put your waste in a trash bag. Dispose of trash often and don’t let waste accumulate indoors.
- Trim the hedges. Pavement ants often use bushes and hedges to access homes. Cut back any branches to keep them from making contact with buildings.
- Seal cracks and gaps. Using silicone caulk, seal up any cracks in the foundation or gaps around pipes that ants can use to enter your property.
If you’re suffering from pavement ants in Alabama, the best thing you can do is to call the experts at Havard Pest Control. Customer service is our specialty and we have comprehensive residential pest control plans and commercial pest control plans to solve your problems. We’ve been serving Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana for over 70 years and we’re ready to help you, too. Get in touch with us today for your free inspection.