How Worried Should I Be About Pavement Ants On My Fort Lauderdale Property?

Pavement ants (Tetramorium caespitum L) are one of the most common ant species in Fort Lauderdale. Pavement ants are not native to our area. They come from Europe. The workers, which are the ants you see out of the nest, are dark brown or black. They are 1/8th of an inch long.

Pavement ants are not dangerous but can cause problems when they invade houses in large numbers. Pavement ants are generally discovered in the kitchen or bathroom. Workers will scout for food and may enter the house if they cannot find it elsewhere. If they find food, the scouts report back to the nest. At that point, you will see a long line of ants picking up food and carrying it back to the nest. These ants are often called sugar ants, since that is their favorite food in the kitchen. They also like grease and meat.

Preventing Pavement Ant Infestations

Pavement ants need the same things other creatures need: food, water, and shelter. The best way to prevent an ant problem is with exclusion and sanitation.

Exclusion

The goal of exclusion is to make it impossible for ants to get inside. Look around the house for cracks and crevasses. Seal them with caulk. Make sure you seal the gaps where plumbing, electrical wires, and cable wires enter your house. These items serve as a highway to your house if not sealed. Now go around the outside of the house and seal cracks and crevices in the foundation.  

Trim trees, shrubs, and vines that touch the house, as ants will use them to reach higher areas where they may find a gap or crack. Check window screens and replace or repair any holes or anything that keeps the screens from sealing off the window. Make sure the weather stripping under doors is intact and reaches the floor.

Sanitation

Sanitation deprives the ants of food and makes it unprofitable for them to remain inside. Ants frequently enter houses looking for water. Stop any water leaks indoors or around your house out of doors. 
  
Ants will eat practically any food we eat and plenty of other things that we would never eat. Make sure all food is in closed containers that ants cannot penetrate. Clean up any spills immediately. Wash out food containers before you toss them in the trash or recycling bin. Take the trash to your outside bins frequently. After you wash your dishes, clean the food out of the sink. Run your disposal after doing the dishes to wash the debris away.

Getting Rid Of Pavement Ants

Ants are hard to get rid of once they are in your home. Get professional help with any ant infestation. Native Pest Management can eliminate your ant problem for you. Even better, we use exclusively pet- and people-friendly protects that kill the ants without harming anyone else. 
 
When you call, we will send our entomologist-trained technician to your house. He will inspect inside and out and present you with a plan of action. When you approve the plan, we will treat your house inside and out for pests, possibly including granular baits, gel baits, and pet-safe pesticides to eliminate the ants and keep them from coming back. Your technician will return in 7-14 days to retreat all those areas so all ages of ants will die. Monthly exterior treatments keep ants away. Call Native Pest Management at (888) 903-2304 today so we can get rid of your ant problems once and for all.