How Ants Damage Your Home
The ants we see crawling all over the ground on a daily basis are generally considered harmless and passive creatures; however, these same ants can have devastating short-term and long-term effects on your home if the
y suddenly decide to move in. Knowing what ants are capable of the kinds of damage each type can cause is a pivotal step to defending your Vancouver residence and its contents.
Below are some key types of ants along with a description of the impact they can have on your home:
House Ants
House or nuisance ants epitomize the term “pest”. Their threat is less direct and severe, but in large numbers, they can become exceedingly bothersome and can really blemish the atmosphere of your home. They will crawl through any given part of your house looking for sources of food and water. When it gets to the point where they are crawling on people and regularly getting into your food stores, your house can feel unclean and their presence may even drive you a little mad. This is all without considering the abundance of food they may cause to spoil in their endless quest for sugars, fats, and proteins. Since they can reproduce rather quickly, the house ant’s initially mild threat can become more severe as their numbers grow. The damage they can cause to your food, your nerves, and your home’s general atmosphere can really take its toll after a while.
Carpenter Ants
While not quite as devastating as termites, carpenter ants can still cause a lot of harm to your home’s structural wood over a long period of time. As its name cleverly implies, the carpenter ant is drawn to wooden materials; while a carpenter builds the wooden structure of a home, a carpenter ant dismantles this same structure to build its very own home. They are drawn to damp or decaying wood for the purpose of burrowing into it and creating nests. Given enough time without being removed or exterminated, a colony of carpenter ants can seriously damage fundamental aspects of your home. Just like with house ants, carpenter ants can reproduce alarmingly fast and this can mean structural damage at an exponential rate. It is crucial that you get assistance from a local exterminator before your house undergoes significant amounts of structural damage.
Fire Ants
While not overly common, fire ants can still invade a home. The threat of these ants lies in their ability to cause physical harm. Since they can sting you, fire ants are somewhat comparable to a wasp or hornet infestation. On the other hand, the majority of them cannot fly and they tend to boast greater populations. As is true with other ant species, when fire ants swarm as a collective, they can be a force to be reckoned with. Don’t let it get to this point and look into a local Vancouver exterminator as soon as possible.
Thus, ants have the potential to wreak havoc on your food, your home, and even your very being. Don’t let a pest get the best of you. Call a Vancouver pest control company to stop those ants in their tracks!
Why Professional Pest Control Is Very Safe
The general consensus on pest removal companies is that exterminators and the chemicals they use don’t go hand in hand with safety; surprisingly, this isn’t necessarily true. While people’s concerns often seem justified because the words “chemical” and “pesticide” have many negative connotations tied to them, there is far more to the subject then you would initially assume. Want to learn more about how pest control can be safe for your home and your family? Read ahead to find out more!
What Exactly Are Pesticides?
When talking about your typical pesticide, you are talking about a substance that kills or repels pests of the household variety or otherwise. Pest may include flies, ants, spiders, mice, cockroaches, etc. A more general definition of pests can also include your average garden weeds and even microscopic viruses and bacteria. The type of pesticides that are generally considered harmful to humans and the environment are called “restricted use” pesticides whereas “general use” pesticides accounts for the chemicals we use day-to-day. These range from the chemicals you would use to clean and preserve a swimming pool to most conventional insect repellants or bug sprays.
Can’t Even My Household Pesticides Be Harmful?
Most general use pesticides can contain harmful ingredients, but they should never be putting you or your family at risk if the label directions are followed correctly. Pesticides for insects, rodents, and other household pests in particular are diluted in such a way that they are harmful to the pest but relatively harmless to humans. As long as you follow the label, you should be perfectly safe; keep these products out of reach from children, use the correct method of application, and make sure to apply the correct amount. Remember, most of the cases where pesticides have become hazardous to a household owner are a result of the mishandling of a pesticide. Make sure to fully educate yourself on the precautions for each new substance that enters your home to keep yourself, other people, and any pets you may have safe!
How a Professional Pest Control Company Keeps You Safe
As previously mentioned, the key to the safe use of pesticides is knowing how to handle them with the proper care. A professional exterminato
With all of this advice in mind, you should be able to more safely handle your day-to-day pesticides. You can also leave your reservations concerning exterminators and the pesticides they use in the past. If you look into hiring a local Vancouver exterminator, you can rest assured that your home will only become a safer place. The exterminator’s products may be harmless but the pests inside your home are not!