Tulsa, Oklahoma, once called the “oil capital of the world,” has developed into a lively modern city. Even with its expanding growth, the folks of this area have utilized their unique blend of various cultural influences to create a warm and hospitable atmosphere for those visiting or settling in the area. One local pest in the area that enjoys welcoming environments is ants. Unless Tulsa homeowners use professional ant pest control services, they could soon play host to multitudes of unwanted social visitors.
How Ants Find Their Way Into Our Homes
While ants often seek refuge in homes due to extreme weather conditions, sometimes worker ants can get lured close to homes with the promise of food or sources of moisture. Once ants get close to a home, they use many avenues to access them. Some common areas of exploitation include:
- Branches that overhang rooftops (providing a bridge to homes)
- Bushes and shrubs that brush up against homes
- Cracks, gaps, or crevices in foundations and siding
- Utility pipes and wires that come into homes
- Gaps around windows and doors.
Ants hunting for shelter, moisture, or food can often find just what they need inside a house. Once the word gets out, worker ants frequently lay down a pheromone trail to call others to join them. Discovering even one or a few ants scurrying across surfaces in your home is disconcerting, so having a trusted pest professional like Montgomery Exterminating is essential. We can quickly address ant infestation issues and utilize expert ant control solutions to eliminate them.
The Risks And Health Concerns Of Ants In The House
Ants may seem insignificant compared to other common home-invading pests, but they’re not. Most types of ants crawl around some pretty nasty areas, gathering harmful bacteria on their bodies and legs. When ants walk over food and surfaces indoors, the germs they’re transporting can contaminate surfaces, which can cause illness. Additionally, Tulsa has three ants that come with their own set of problems.
Odorous house ants fall into nuisance ants and contaminators. When threatened or crushed, they can also give off a “rotten coconut-like” smell, and carpenter ants can bite when they feel threatened. Carpenter ants also infest wood, excavating it to create galleries. If left untreated, they can weaken wood structures, affecting structural stability. Another concerning ant in the area is the pharaoh ant. While it is most common in medical facilities, it is known to spread streptococcus, salmonellosis, clostridium, and staphylococcus.
Besides their nuisance value, many ants that infest homes can cause serious problems, so it’s always wise to have a relationship with a trusted pest professional like Montgomery Exterminating. Our experienced and highly-trained professionals can quickly resolve your ant control issues.
How Do I Prevent Ants From Coming Into My Home
With the size of ants, homeowners may feel like prevention is impossible, but don’t throw in the towel! With a few simple tips, proactive homeowners can take steps that can help keep ants out of Tulsa homes.
Five ant prevention tips helpful in keeping ants outdoors include:
- Using silicone-based caulking to fill in cracks, crevices, and gaps
- Placing weatherstripping around windows and doors and door sweeps under gaping doors
- Quickly fix any moisture (leaks/humidity) issues within homes
- Trimming bushes and shrubs and overhanging tree branches
- Practicing good indoor sanitation by vacuuming crumbs, wiping spills, and cleaning trash cans
Taking steps to stop ants before they get into homes is wise, but sometimes, even the best prevention steps won’t stop persistent ants. When and if ants subvert your ant prevention measures, it’s always good to know Montgomery Exterminating is close by and can quickly respond to your ant control issue.
How Do The Professionals Get Rid Of Ants?
Getting rid of ants from homes is best obtained using highly-trained professionals with 40 years of combined pest experience; we’ve got that at Montgomery Exterminating. Our company is family-owned by Oklahoma natives who have provided excellent pest control services to their community since 1989. We offer customizable, affordable, and quality pest control services that can resolve all your ant and pest control needs. Contact Montgomery Exterminating today for dependable and effective ant removal in Tulsa.
