Ant Control in Toronto is More Complicated Than You Think!
When the snows melt, and the spring rains come down, it can only mean one thing for Toronto residents. Ant season. In the spring and summer, ants come to life throughout the area invading homes and gardens. Even though small, these social insects can be difficult to manage. Sometimes you deal with one incursion, only to find hundreds of more ants somewhere else in your house.
What can you do with proper termite control in Toronto?
Types of Ants Found in Toronto
The first key is to know your enemy. While there are over 100 species of ants in Canada, Toronto homeowners generally only encounter seven different kinds in their homes and yards. Three species of ants, pavement ants, carpenter ants, and European fire ants, cause 90% of all homeowners’ problems. While most ants are only a nuisance, some varieties can cause serious damage to your home.
Pavement Ants
These ants usually nest under slabs of concrete. They are black and often are seen in large groups. Their networks of tunnels can sometimes cause sidewalks to lift and break up over time. The worst-case scenario would be if you had pavement ants under your home’s foundation, but this is rare.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are black and larger than most other types of ants. These ants live in wood. Unlike termites, they don’t eat wood. Instead, they nest and burrow inside of the wood. If carpenter ants decide to nest in your deck or home, it can cause extensive damage that is expensive to repair.
European Fire Ants
As their name suggests, these medium-sized red ants are not native to Canada. They are rarely found indoors but can be found in parks, gardens, and yards. Most people worry about ants because of their painful sting. But they also present another serious problem. These ants help to spread invasive plant species that are crowding out indigenous garden plants.
Other types of ants that may infest Toronto homes include pharaoh ants, thief ants, Argentine ants, and odorous ants.
The Problem with Ants
Because ants are so small, it is often difficult to view them as serious threats. However, ants may be more than a nuisance. They can also cause serious problems for your home.
Pavement ants often make their way into homes, looking for food and water. They typically do not cause any property damage, but nobody wants lines of ants in their kitchen. Because they tend to nest under slabs of concrete, it is possible that giving enough time that can cause issues with a sidewalk or patio.
Carpenter ants are the most serious threat from a property damage perspective. They tunnel into the wood inside and around your home. Because they do not eat wood like termites, the damage is not always obvious. Carpenter ants can destabilize wood structures without creating any obvious visual clues. You should always seek professional help to get rid of carpenter ants. They are notoriously difficult to kill with common sprays and baits.
European fire ants are mostly undesirable because you do not want your family and pets to be exposed to their painful sting. It is also important for the local ecosystem to eliminate these invaders as thoroughly as possible.
What Attracts Ants to Your Home?
Three things attract ants to your home:
- Food
- Water
- Shelter
The more vegetation and clutter you have around the edge of your house, the better habitat you create for ants. Ants often are drawn to the vegetation to feed on other tiny insects. The plants and clutter also trap moisture which is especially attractive in the hot summer. Carpenter ants are drawn to moist or water-damaged wood. If your deck isn’t properly sealed, it can become a haven for carpenter ants after a few years.
Ants go inside your house primarily to hunt for food and water as these resources become more scarce outside. The heat is drying up their water sources and forcing their food supplies to move on. It is one reason why ants are so common in the summer.
Pavement ants are not picky eaters. The ideal way to avoid an ant infestation is ant control, but keeping all of your surfaces clean and clear is also important.
In Conclusion
It would help if you also made sure food containers were properly sealed. An ant only takes a tiny crack to get into your sugar or other food sources. Leaky faucets are also another way to attract thirsty ants. Making sure your sinks aren’t dripping will help keep the ants away. Be sure to get in touch with a pest control company like Pesticon. You can contact us for more details.