Argentine ants aren’t the worst ants you can get in your Pennsylvania home (that distinction goes to the carpenter ant), but Argentine ants are still not a pest you want to ignore. They may not sting or bite, but they can damage your landscaping and contaminate food stores. However, the worst threat that Argentine ants pose is to the local ecosystems they invade.
Should I Be Worried If I See One Argentine Ant On My Property?
You don’t necessarily need to panic if you see one Argentine ant on your kitchen countertop. Like all other ant species, Argentine ants in Pennsylvania send out scouts looking for food. If you find one of these scouts, you may just have caught a single forager that got a whiff of the pie cooling on your windowsill. That doesn’t mean you have an infestation. However, if you start seeing Argentine ants more often, chances are there’s a colony living close to or inside your house.
The Problems Argentine Ants Can Cause In Your House
Argentine ants aren’t much of a physical threat to you, but they can cause some damage around your house. The biggest issue with Argentine ants is they can contaminate your food stores. Like all ants, Argentine ants crawl on the ground before they crawl inside. When they crawl into your food stores, they bring all the germs they picked up on the ground with them.
Argentine ants are also a threat to your landscaping and plants. One of their favorite foods is the honeydew secreted by aphids, and they sometimes cultivate aphids just like humans cultivate livestock. They’ll protect them and relocate them to fresh plants whenever their population outgrows the plants they infest. Aphids can damage all kinds of plants, including vegetables, ornamental shrubs, flowers, and more.
The biggest threat Argentine ants pose is to the environment. These invasive ants displace most or all of the native ants that occupy the areas they invade. This, in turn, can damage or kill indigenous plants and predators that depend on native ants for food. Not every native animal can feed on Argentine ants the way they can native ants. That means this invasive species can imperil indigenous fauna. This is the main reason why Argentine ant control is so vital.
How To Prevent Argentine Ant Reinfestation
Effective ant control starts with prevention. If you’ve already eliminated an Argentine ant infestation – or have yet to get one – there are plenty of preventative ant control solutions you can employ to avoid them:
- Keep all trash cans both inside and outside sealed with tight lids at all times.
- Never leave dirty dishes – including pet dishes – sitting out.
- Store all pantry foods – including pet foods – in airtight containers.
- Seal potential entry points in your home like cracks and holes in its exterior.
- Contact a local pest control company for preventive care.
Professional ant prevention is a lot cheaper and easier than professional ant elimination. Having an ant inspection at least once a year can be vital to your overall ant control plan.
How Do I Get Rid Of Argentine Ants In My Home?
Getting rid of an established Argentine ant infestation can be a tough challenge for homeowners in Pennsylvania. That’s why, if you have an existing infestation on your property, you need the best pest control in Pennsylvania. Here at BHB Pest Elimination, we always stay on top of the latest and greatest ant control techniques so we can keep you ant-free permanently. So give us a call or visit our contact page to get started!