Ants in Modesto are like ants anywhere else; they’re tiny, annoying, and seemingly everywhere. If you are finding ants in or around your home, it’s not something to ignore. Without professional pest control, an ant infestation can get out of hand and sometimes lead to structural damage. It’s essential that you, as a homeowner in Modesto, CA, to know what to look out for ahead of time.

What kinds of ants live in Modesto?

There are hundreds of ant species in the United States, but there are about four main types of ants in California. When you find ants in your California home, there’s a good chance it’s one of the following:

Argentine Ants
Carpenter Ants
Pharaoh Ants
Thief Ants

Each of these ants has various habits, sizes, and looks, so learning to identify them is step one in eliminating them.

Argentine Ants

Argentine ants, originally from South America, are now prevalent across most of the world’s continents and are one of the biggest pest problems for homeowners in Modesto, CA.

You can recognize an Argentine ant by its dull brown color. Its body is about an eighth of an inch long, and they emit musty odors when they’re squashed.

Argentine ants are known for their love of sweets, oils, and buds of plants. They also often form mutual relationships with certain insects that excrete honeydew, protecting these aphids so they can feed on the sweet liquid.

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are not only prevalent in homes throughout the Modesto area, but most homes across California and the United States. They stick to their namesake in that they love to burrow and nest in wet wood.

These ants are black or brown and red and measure at about a quarter-inch to a half-inch long. As far as feeding goes, they love to dive into sweets and honeydew as well as other insects.

Carpenter ants will mainly create their colonies in dead trees, firewood, tree stumps, or fence posts, but they can also establish themselves within your home in the window and door frames, subfloors, and hollow doors.

Pharaoh Ants

Pharaoh ants are considered huge nuisances in California because they are incredibly tiny. At just one-sixteenth of an inch long and super mobile, they can be hard to track down and kill. Their small size allows them to take up residence in tiny areas, like little cracks and crevices, walls and baseboards, and even inside insulation or clothing folds.

These yellow-orange-colored ants love sweets, fats, proteins, and even other insects, so there’s not much food that doesn’t attract them. They are super comfortable living indoors, but if they’re disturbed, they’ll move to a new location quickly, making them hard to eliminate in large numbers.

Thief Ants

Thief ants are often a common enemy between people and other ant species. While they are certainly a nuisance to us humans, they make a habit of nesting near other ant nests and stealing their food and ant larvae.

Thief ants are big fans of grease along with proteins, dead insects, and dead rodents. Their tiny size, which is anywhere from one-thirty-second of an inch long to one-eighth of an inch, allows them to invade packaged foods easily. They are yellowish-brown in color and often nest under rocks, in decaying wood, within wall and cabinet voids, and behind baseboards.

How can I prevent ants from getting into my home?

One of the best ways to prevent an ant infestation in your home is to maintain high levels of cleanliness. The ants will always travel to where there is a food source, so things like dirty dishes, crumbs, and greasy surfaces can easily attract them. Sweep and mop your floors often and regularly clean off your countertops. Also, empty your trash cans frequently and avoid leaving any pet food in bowls on the ground. Rinse out food recyclables before tossing them, and seal any cracks and crevices you might find in your household.

How does AAI Pest Control get rid of ants in my home?

DIY methods can provide temporary relief, but professional help is always the best course of action to eradicate ants in your home. Trust the professionals at AAI Pest Control to get rid of the ants in your home and prevent them from coming back. Give us a call or fill out the contact form on this page to get started!