Ant Identification & Prevention

Are ants dangerous?

Most ants that regularly invade our yards and homes searching for food and water are not dangerous. They are just trying to ensure the success of their colony, and our properties benefit them.

However, the reverse isn’t true; when ants find their way into our homes, they are problematic. Ants contaminate food and produce foul odors. They will also cover your home's surfaces with bacteria and other pathogens that can make you and your family ill.

While most ants aren’t dangerous, some are; dangerous ants cause serious harm to people or property. Dangerous ants bite, sting, spread serious disease-causing pathogens, and cause structural damage.

Why do I have an ant problem?

There is no getting around it, ants are common household pests, and their small size means they can find their way into any of our homes. Food odors are the most common reason that ants are attracted to our indoor or outdoor spaces. Places where ants regularly forage for food to bring back to the nest include gardens, flower beds, compost, trash cans, pet food bowls, and outdoor eating areas.

Once ants discover reliable food on your property, they alert other members of their colony and will keep returning day after day. When ants nest or forage for food in or near your yard, it is only a matter of time before they find a way into your home.

Where will I find ants?

Ants primarily live outside, nesting in the ground or within things like trees, rockpiles, and cracks in the pavement. These social insects can maintain more than one nest, and often their satellite nests are built inside our houses. Our homes offer ants safe shelter and easy access to food and water. Common indoor ant nesting sites are wall voids, vents, crawl spaces, and structural wood. They also like the spaces behind baseboards and window or door trim.

Ants don’t try to hide their presence from people. When living in or very close to our homes, you will spot them out and about (in the grass, on sidewalks, and on your home's counters and floors), working together and gathering food to bring back to the nest.