Like many other types of insects, ants have been known to trigger a person's allergies once they make their way inside a home. Ants can also irritate a person's asthma symptoms, or cause asthma in people already dealing with respiratory illnesses.
While not nearly as significantly known for transmitting diseases compared to mosquitos, ants can carry and transmit fungal and bacterial organisms which are serious disease pathogens.
An annoyance more than anything else, most ants in the United States aren't directly harmful to people. If left to run amok, however, ants can destroy structures, spread bacteria and, in extreme cases, cause serious allergic reactions. That's why it's best to nip an ant infestation in the bud.
While not considered typical diseases, ant bites and stings can nonetheless cause very serious symptoms and illness associated with allergic reactions and hypersensitivity to ant venom.
There is also a chance that you can contract salmonella from eating food that ants have come in contact with. By crawling across your food, they can spread salmonella for you to ingest. The best way to avoid these situations is to engage in proactive ant prevention measures and professional ant control services.
If you accidentally eat ants in your food, you will not die. They are not poisonous. There have not been any reports about people dying or getting sick from eating ants. If you accidentally consume Sugar ants, your body will kill them as they pass through your digestive system.
Ants are very clean animals. They have an oily saliva which they use to clean and oil their bodies by licking them. An ant's antennae are very important, as they help the ant communicate and find food sources. As such, they must also be kept very clean.
That's why sprays are useless; they never get to the queen. But worker ants will carry a low-dose ant poison back to the queen for you. You don't have to find her; the worker ants are both the problem and the answer.
Ants can also serve as hosts of a variety of internal or external parasitic nematodes from several families with more or less complex life cycles.
Multiple fire ant stings may cause vomiting, diarrhea, swelling throughout the body, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, and shock.
It is advised not to squash ants, doing so will only release pheromones and trigger more ants to come to the location and cause more trouble to you and your family. Ants are known to pack a deadly bite that causes excruciating pain for a short time.
If the ant hills are found near the building or against walls, it is a cause for concern. If you notice ants both inside and outside, you should contact a professional to take care of the situation. Contact Preventive Pest Control Today!
Here's the thing about ants: They never go away completely. And you don't necessarily want them to. Ants help control other pest populations and enrich the soil. But you still shouldn't have to deal with ants in your home or the parts of your yard where you spend time.
In addition to transporting the bacteria that are already inside your home, ants can bring with them any number of other food-borne diseases like Shigella, clostridium, salmonella, staph, strep, E. coli, and various fungi.
While ants are not known to carry diseases, they can contaminate food and cause allergic reactions in some individuals. Some people may experience an allergic reaction to ants, particularly when they are bitten or stung. Symptoms of an allergic reaction to ants may include swelling, itching, and hives.
Once you have an infestation, the pests begin their work; they chew through and hollow out the wooden areas of your home, which eventually disrupt its structural integrity. "When left untreated, that damage can be severe because their colonies can grow to over 10,000 workers," Fredericks says.
If your bedroom is well maintained and bed clean, and you still face ant intrusions, it could be due to the presence of an ant-nest in the vicinity. These critters could be crawling into your bedroom and mattress through a crevice or crack in the walls.
breviceps are social insects that parasitize colonies of other social insects. These parasites are found throughout the social Hymenoptera (i.e., bees, wasps and ants), and have been most intensely studied in ants.
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, otherwise known as cordyceps or zombie-ant fungus, infects insects such as ants or spiders. Like other parasites, cordyceps drains its host completely of nutrients before filling its body with spores that will let the fungus reproduce.
The most effective way of getting rid of ants permanently is to call a professional pest controller. They can eliminate an infestation as well as put measures in place to ensure you're never faced with one again.
Peppermint is a natural insect repellant. You can plant mint around your home or use the essential oil of peppermint as a natural remedy for control of ants. Ants hate the smell, and your home will smell minty fresh! Plant mint around entryways and the perimeter of your home.
The Ants Are Looking for a Source of Water
Sometimes, ants aren't interested in the food you have in the house, but a reliable source of water, especially during the hot season, when temperatures are extreme. Ants can use a leaking pipe or a faulty faucet to drink water, so make sure your plumbing is ok.
Erase The Ant Scent Trails
Simply sweeping and mopping your floors won't help to eliminate the scent trail that ants leave behind. Instead, mix up vinegar and water and spray areas where ants have been. Another recommendation is to use an Ammonia based cleaner to clean up the pheromone trail.