(Newswire.net — March 16, 2018) — St. Louis, Missouri – The return of warm weather means the return of the most resilient picnic-ruining pests: the ants. Ants destroy food, ruin wood, track dirt inside, and spread disease. To fight against the hordes of ant season, St. Louis’s own Mick’s Exterminating is offering this list of tips to help homeowners and landlords deal with their six-legged intruders.
· Remember, ants come in a variety of types, and each of these invades a home in different ways and causes different problems. There isn’t one blanket symptom, or blanket approach that takes care of all types.
· Mick’s recommends identifying the two most common types of ants: carpenter ants and odorous house ants. Carpenter ants are bigger than most others, and have a distinct brown color (as opposed to the common black or red.) Unlike termites, carpenter ants don’t eat the wood, they just move it around enough to build nests, hence the name. However, their remodeling can still weaken structures just like termites. Odorous house ants appear more in line with the common small, black bug we’re used to. These bugs make up for their lack of size with a tendency to multiply where there is a food source, using numbers to infest hidden spaces.
· Mick’s Exterminating recommends taking a proactive, preventative approach by eliminating the source of the ant’s desire to enter your home. The first step is to remove food sources like crumbs and open containers. Without incentive to brave the unknown, ants will look to safer, external places for sustenance. The next step is to seal off the entrances that ants use to gain access, which can be done with caulk, putty, or glue. Doors and windows are the obvious entry points, so leaving them cracked won’t do without a screen. A layer of duct tape with the sticky side up works in a pinch if there aren’t more official versions available.
· Finally, Mick’s recommends using chemicals that deter ants in strategic places around the house. These measures should be provided by exterminators who know where to look. Some companies such as Mick’s even offer free estimates so you will know how if their services will fit into your budget.
Mick’s Exterminating is located at 8491 Veterans Memorial Pkwy, O’Fallon, MO 63366.