It’s safe to say that most folks are excited that spring has arrived and summer is right around the corner. The sun is shining, the days are longer and the temperatures are rising! However, this nicer weather means another thing: ant season.
There are two main types of ants in Oklahoma: carpenter ants and sugar ants. Both of these become active in the springtime and continue to be a problem throughout the summer. This post will cover what you need to know about ant season and ant removal in Bartlesville, OK.
Carpenter ants
Carpenter ants are the more dangerous of the two, as these will cause significant damage to wooden structures if they’re left unchecked. Carpenter ants are about ¼ to ½ inch long and generally have a black color. Their swarming season begins in March and runs through May—as the temperatures start heating up, these ants get more active and start trying to enter your home.
Sugar ants
Whereas carpenter ants can be a legitimate threat to the structural integrity of your home, sugar ants are more of a nuisance. The name “sugar ants” refers to a variety of species that are small and non-stinging. They’re attracted to sweet foods and liquids (hence their name). Sugar ants are active all year long, but they tend to come out more in the spring, just like carpenter ants.
What should you do about ants?
Regardless of the type of ant, you certainly don’t want them crawling around all over your home! Here’s what you should do to prepare yourself this ant season:
- Clean up your yard: Since carpenter ants feed on wood, the last thing you want to do is make your yard a feeding ground by leaving stacks of firewood around. Store firewood in a shed, or at least move it far away from your house. Along the same lines, pick up any branches that may have fallen down during spring storms.
- Tidy up inside: The exterior of your home will lure carpenter ants to your property, but it’s the interior that will keep sugar ants around. Sugar ants take tiny morsels of food from your home and bring them back to their nest. If you make a habit of sweeping up crumbs, wiping the countertops and cleaning up spills right away, your house will be much less attractive to these little pests.
- Store foods: It’s convenient for you to leave open boxes of cereal, snacks and other foods right out on the kitchen counter. Unfortunately, it’s also super convenient for ants! Don’t let them get to your food so easily. Instead, store everything in plastic containers up in your cupboards or in the pantry.
- Call an exterminator: If you perform all of the steps above and still have an infestation on your hands, you might have to bring in the pros. A professional exterminator will find the source of the ants, eliminate it and then set up a chemical barrier to ensure they don’t come back anytime soon.
When it comes to ant removal in Bartlesville, OK, nobody’s better than Excellence Pest Control. Whether you have ants already or you want to avoid an infestation this spring, pick up the phone and give us a call today!