Most Common Ants In Knoxville

Most Common Ants In Knoxville

We don’t usually spend too much time thinking about ants–until it is hard to not think about them. When you walk into your kitchen and see your trash can covered from top to bottom in ants, that is a problem that is hard to ignore. When you go into your pantry and find a few hundred ants crawling all over your shelves, those ants will be all you think about, until they’re gone. When you feel a burning sensation on your foot, followed by another, and another and another–well, you get the point. Ants can be a pain, quite literally. Here are five ants you are most likely to see on your Knoxville property.

Pharaoh Ants

These ants crawl in the garbage, on dead animals in the yard, and on other dirty things then they crawl around on counters, food prep surfaces, plates and other items. They’ll also crawl around on exterior grills. When they do, they can spread illness. Studies link these ants to over 12 infectious organisms.

Odorous House Ants

Having these ants around stinks. These ants love to get into homes and when they do, they can cause a nasty odor. But, most of the time, it isn’t the odor that makes these ants a problem. Like most ants, they are a nuisance when they appear in large numbers.

Carpenter Ants

These little homewreckers are surprisingly sneaky. They can establish themselves in a home, and chew away at it for months, without being detected. This is because carpenter ants often feed on outside food sources, rather than the food in cabinets and pantries.

Little Black Ants

You may mistake these ants for carpenter ants because of their black coloring, but you shouldn’t. Little black ants are quite a bit smaller compared to carpenter ants. A little black ant measures in at about 1/16 of an inch–compared to the 1/4 – 1/2 inch size of a typical carpenter ant worker. It is important to tell the difference because little black ants are just a nuisance. Unlike the carpenter ant, they do not have the capability to destroy your home.

Fire Ants

If you use your backyard for anything, fire ants can ruin your fun. They build their mounds all over the place and inflict irritating stings to anyone who accidentally steps in the wrong place. This can be a serious threat to those who cannot get away quickly from their stings, like babies in carriers, the infirm and the elderly.

If you live in Knoxville and you’re having trouble with ants, don’t worry. Russell’s Pest Control has industry-leading solutions for all of the ant problems we have here in Tennessee. Contact us today for a free in-home pest evaluation and let’s get that ant problem fixed. Ant issues may be common in Knoxville, but they’re not inevitable. Get immediate assistance today.

Tips To Keep Ants Out Of Your Knoxville Home This Spring

Tips To Keep Ants Out Of Your Knoxville Home This Spring

Springtime in Tennessee is a beautiful time of year. Everyone is able to get out and about, and everyone is ready for a new season of fun in the sun. Your yard has been cleaned up, and all your spring cleaning is done for another year. Now it is time to play, right? Unfortunately, no! Homeowners across Knoxville are noticing a common occurrence in their kitchens this spring – the ants have come out of hiding, and they may be headed straight for your pantry.

Springtime for ants, as with many other pests, is the time when they emerge from their nests after a long winter. Food to feed the thousands of their nest mates waiting for them is their first order of business, and second is to find a new nesting spot for their overcrowded kin to move into. Ant colonies can number in the thousands! When the number grows to an unmanageable level, the queen will produce swarmers, which are winged ants, who then go out to establish a brand new colony. After they find their new home, the swarmers lose the wings and will breed to populate their new home.

It is not unusual for swarming ants to be attracted to homes that may be nearby. The average human habitat can provide a large colony of ants with everything that they need to help their new family grow. Food is always readily accessible, whether it is sugar from the bowl on the table or that loaf of bread left on the counter; and shelter is not a problem either with plenty of room in the walls of your home to fit even the largest colony.

Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to help keep ants out. While you are out working on projects around your house, pay close attention to the foundation, doorways, and window areas. Are there cracks in the foundation? Screens or weather stripping around doors and windows ripped? Those are all key entry points for ants. Make sure that you take the time to seal the cracks in your foundation all the way around your home, repair screens, and add weather stripping where it is needed. Also, make it a habit to keep the grass and shrubbery trimmed away from your home to discourage ants from wandering too close. Inside, it is essential that anything that can attract ants, namely staples in the pantry, fruits, and bread that is stored in bags and boxes, be sealed tightly in plastic containers. Make sure that any spills are immediately cleaned up. Keep dishes done every day and make sure that crumbs and grease on floors, the refrigerator, counters, and stove are all cleaned regularly.

It is still possible that ants might find their way in. If that is the case, it isn’t likely that relying on over-the-counter traps and sprays will have any effect on an ant colony that has moved in. Because of the sheer size of the nest and its inaccessible location, DIY products probably will not completely eradicate the entire colony. You might get rid of some, but there can be thousands more deep within the colony to replace those ones each and every day. Working with a professional pest control company can not only help get rid of any infestation that might already be present, but it will also ensure that your home is protected throughout each season. Give Russell’s Pest Control a call today and find out why we should be your partner in keeping ants and other pests out all year long.