What It Takes To Get Rid Of Ants In Your Roseville Home

The Problems An Ant Infestation Can Create In Your Home

As small as they may be, ants can cause a significant amount problems in your Roseville home, such as: 

Food Contamination

Contamination often comes from species like odorous house ants or Argentine ants, but almost all ants can cause food contamination. 

Because of their attraction to food and water, ants will be looking to have dinner with you. As long as they have the opportunity to, ants will try to contaminate your food, and nobody wants an extra crunch in their dinner. Right?

Contamination could include food in your pantry, ingredients you're preparing, your current meal, and even the dirty dishes in your sink. Anything with food remnants can be a food source for ants. If they don't have easy access, ants will create it – even if it means nesting inside your pantry or cupboards. 

Food contamination also comes with the risk of bacteria or harmful pathogens, depending on the species. 

Property Damage

Not all ants are capable of property damage, but some species are. Carpenter ants, for instance, can cause property damage to your home or your yard if they're nesting nearby. 

Carpenter ants like cool, moist areas, and they like to nest in the wood. However, while they don't eat wood like termites, they will chew through it to create their nests. Carpenter ant damage is rarely as extensive as termite damage, but with enough time, they can still wrack up a few repairs. 

General Nuisance

Beyond the health concerns they cause, an ant infestation can be a general nuisance too. As the infestation grows, ants won't be shy about spending time out in the open. They may crawl over furniture, tables, counters, or even you! The constant presence of any pest can be stressful, but since ants are so hard to get rid of, they can cause even more anxiety. 

Bites Or Stings

While it's rare for most home-invading ants, like odorous house ants, to sting or bite, it can still happen. Ants aren't usually aggressive but may bite or sting out of self-defense. 

The one exception to this is fire ants. Fire ants create mounds outside, and if you enter their territory, they aren't afraid to sting. These stings can be painful and may feel similar to a wasp or bee sting. Since they like to sting in swarms, dealing with a large fire ant colony could even become dangerous without professional fire ant control. 

Bacteria 

Odorous house ants, pharaoh ants, and other species can sometimes spread bacteria. Interacting with ants doesn't guarantee you'll get sick, but if they contaminate your food, the risk is there, and this is another reason to make sure these pests steer clear of your dinner. 

Ants can spread harmful bacteria like streptococcus, salmonella, E. coli, and staphylococcus. Certain ants, like pharaoh ants, tend to carry bacteria more often than others. Pharaoh ants aren't as common in Roseville homes as they are in medical facilities or other buildings, but they can still infest residential areas.