Will Pest Control Get Rid of Ants — Ashley’s Student Essay
Will Pest Control Get Rid of Ants?
You should never underestimate the drive of a puny, deep colored, six-legged, scavenger-like insect to ravage through uneaten food, spills, or even small areas of your house. That is, never think that an ant won’t find its way into your home. Though they are not the kind of intruder where you’d need to fear for your life, you may need to fear for the purity of your leftovers on the counter.
The smallest, most insignificant crevice in your home could appear as a grand and welcoming entrance to your humble abode. They’d sneak in, detect that fruit salad Grandma made that’s left out on the kitchen counter, and make it its feast. With an intruder so tiny and nimble, it is up to homeowners to intervene on their own, or call up someone who can.
Pest Control is a great way to get an ant infestation under control, and lower the likelihood of another one. The first thing they’d do is secure the perimeter. When they do this, they essentially seal and cover up any cracks or crevices on the outside of the house, typically with caulk.
These crucial areas include doorways, steps, windows, and thresholds. They then will search for where the infestation originated from. They will also identify the type of ant present in the home.
Once the area is scoped out, and the pest control company identifies the source and type of the infestation, they can begin to observe the magnitude of the problem. Sometimes, it’s just a few hungry critters who wanted to grab a bite to eat and found their way inside through a door crack.
Other times, though, the ants could be causing damage to the wood in a house, which can compromise the foundation of the home. Once the exterminator can accurately gauge the extent of the infestation, they can impose appropriate measures and treatment.
Some pest control companies can just set out traps to get rid of these pests, but this doesn’t always work for a larger infestation, or if the ants become suspicious and too smart. Therefore, the exterminator can also choose from a variety of pesticides and insecticides to choose from to eradicate the ant colony. It is important to make sure that any chemical used during this process won’t hurt you, your family, or any pets you may have.
Some sources suggest that you make sure that the pesticides used are approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and to check and see if your provider is on the Department of Environmental Conservatism’s list of registered companies. It is also important to not mix outdoor and indoor pesticides, since they are labeled for indoor and/or outdoor use only for a reason. As always, it is also important to avoid skin contact with many of these chemicals.
In the end, it is necessary to ensure that any small ant problem should be taken care of immediately, and finding a reputable pest control company in your area is a great solution. Having an infestation is not a sign of uncleanliness or a disorganized house, but rather a sign of sneaky ants in the area. As mentioned, these scurrying insects can find the tiniest opening to a house, and make their debut. Thankfully, pest control can control and avoid the infestations and future ones. As long as one is making sure the procedures and treatments aren’t harmful to yourself, others, or pets, then letting pest control handle these trespassers.
Author: Ashley Cohen Conner
Arizona State University - Tempe
Sources
Department of Health. Bed Bugs – What They Are and How to Control Them. (n.d.).Retrieved September 25, 2021, from https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/pests/bedbugs.htm.
Employee. (2020, September 8). 3 things an exterminator does to get rid of an ant infestation. Big Time Pest Control. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://www.bigtimepestcontrol.com/blog/exterminator-get-rid-of-an-ant-infestation.
How does pest control get rid of ants? JDM Pest Control. (2021, February 8). Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://jdmpestcontrol.ca/how-pest-control-get-rid-ants/.