Top Tips for Ant-Proofing Your Home

Sweeping your floor is a top ant-proofing tip for your Northern Utah or Southern Idaho home. Rentokil.The weather is starting to warm up here in Northern Utah and Southern Idaho. With rising temperatures comes the return of ants in your home! Anyone who has had an ant problem knows how frustrating they are–not to mention how difficult they are to get rid of. To avoid dealing with an infestation, it’s crucial to learn about ant prevention. The team at Rentokil have compiled their best ant-proofing tips for homeowners. Keep reading to learn more!

Ant-Proofing Tricks and Tips for Your Home

To keep ants away, it’s important to learn what attracts them in the first place. By limiting their access indoors, and subsequently any food and water sources they may find, you can avoid an infestation. The following tips will lessen the chance of getting an ant problem:

  • Inspect your property and seal any cracks or crevices using a silicone-based caulk.
  • Keep all pet food bowls clean and always clean up after spills and messes. Pick pet bowls up off the floor after meal times.
  • Ensure downspouts and gutters are all functioning properly so that water is flowing away from the foundation.
  • Regularly check under sinks for excess moisture problems and repair leaky pipes promptly.
  • Trim trees and shrubbery in your yard to be at least 6 inches away from the foundation of the home.
  • Wipe down any countertops and sweep floors regularly to clean up spills and remove crumbs.
  • Store dried goods, food, and pet food in airtight containers and refrigerate ripe fruit.
  • Take out your garbage on a regular basis and use trash cans with a tight-fitting lid.

How to Get Rid of Your Ant Problem

If you’ve done all you can to prevent ants and still find yourself with a possible infestation, it’s important to always enlist the help of a professional ant exterminator. Ants are determined pests that are more resilient than you may think. Colonies can spread quickly and into satellite colonies, which is why controlling them can be a lengthy process. A pest control company has the tools and resources to get rid of your infestation quickly and effectively.

Professional Ant-Proofing Services

Learning how to prevent ants can be difficult. Our team of ant exterminators knows how frustrating ants can be, which is why we’ll work with you to determine the best way to keep ants out all year round. Call our team today to find out more!

Important Differences Between Termites & Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are commonly mistaken for termites in Southern Idaho and Northern Utah. Learn more from Rentokil!

Termites and flying ants: what’s the difference? Flying ants, known as carpenter ants, can cause a lot of damage with their wood-boring abilities. However, termites are even more dangerous! In the swarmer stages of their lives, these two wood-destroying insects are commonly mistaken for each other. Although they both destroy wood, they are quite different from one another. Keep reading to learn expert tips on the differences between termites & carpenter ants from the professionals at Rentokil.

How to Tell Termites Apart from Carpenter Ants

Termite and carpenter swarmers certainly look alike, but there are several key differences. The best way to differentiate the two is to look at the size of their wings in proportion to their bodies. Flying carpenter ants are black in color, but can have a slight red hue as well. The most telling feature of carpenter ants is that they measure 1/2″–5/8″ with antennae bent at a 45-degree angle. Carpenter ant swarmers are larger than termites, which is a good way to tell them apart.

Meanwhile, termite swarmers are dark brown to black in color and measure 3/8″ long including the wings. Their wings are a translucent to slightly milky or smoky color, may overlap, and are typically as long as or slightly longer than the body. This is the best way to differentiate them from carpenter ants.

Winged ant vs. termite in Northern Utah and Southern Idaho - Rentokil

Behaviors of Wood-Destroying Insects

Termites and carpenter ants both tunnel through wood, but termites are typically more destructive. The main things to know about these wood-boring insects are:

  • Termites make their way into a structure around basement windows, doorways, under siding, porches, or any structure in contact with the soil.
  • Established termite colonies can range from 60,000 to over a million workers and can consume nearly 5 grams of wood per day.
  • Carpenter ants establish nests in wood that is already in decay, and later expand into normal wood, insulation, or wall voids.
  • Excavated termite galleries appear to have been sanded. Carpenter ants do not create the extensive damage termites do.

How to Control Termites and Carpenter Ants

Wood-destroying insects are feared by all property owners, and for good reason! Flying ants, known as carpenter ants, are the most destructive ant species in the nation. However, they don’t hold a torch to the damage caused by termites annually! Your best defense against a wood-destroying insect is to sign up for annual inspections from a professional pest control company such as Rentokil. We can help you learn how to tell the differences between termites & carpenter ants.