Surprising Facts About the Ants in Your Home

Think about the last few times you saw an ant walk past you. When it was strolling by across the driveway, you probably didn’t even bat an eye. However, the last time you saw one inside of your home you probably ran over to it and smashed it repeatedly. My, my, how the tables have turned.

Follow the Trail
Ants will usually march in a militaristic fashion as they look for crumbs inside of your home. The reason for this: they are following pheromones. These pheromones are released by previous ants who have visited that specific area beforehand and are letting their colony know about this location. Stopping ants sooner rather than later is key because the more ants that follow this trail, the stronger the pheromones get.

Young, Wild & — Dead
Do you know what the average age of a common worker ant is? The answer: one month! This means that no matter how long an infestation lasts, you’ll probably never see the same ant twice. Unfortunately, an ant colony can survive as long as the queen is available to continue repopulating the colony. When trying to remove an infestation, it is ideal to exterminate the queen and surrounding colony — not just the occasional ant walking around.

The Thirst Is Real
Yes, if you have crumbs on the floor or countertops, a colony of ants will eventually find them. However, even a spotless home can still become infested with ants. Why is this so? Ants are on the lookout for water sources equally as much as they are on the hunt for food. Remember to clean up any spills or pooling water around the sink, dishwasher, and washing machine.

There are trillions of ants in this world, but there are some things about them not everyone knows about. When your home becomes infested with ants or any other type of pest, contact Knockout Pest Control. To learn more, or to schedule an inspection, give us a call at (800) 244-7378.

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