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While an ant problem in your home may not seem as bad as a mosquito, bedbug, termite, or cockroach infestation, that doesn't mean you shouldn’t schedule pest control services. Learn the surprising ways ants can harm your home and family. 

4 Ways Ants Cause Problems at Home Without Pest Control Services

1. Food Contamination

Ants acquire bacteria wherever they go, whether from sewers, soil, roads, trash cans, or toilets. They can pass that bacteria onto your food, flatware, and utensils, including E. coli and salmonella that cause diarrhea and nausea or vomiting, respectively. Ants can also contract and pass diseases such as Staphylococcus that causes painful staph infections.

2. Painful Bites

All ants are capable of biting humans when they feel threatened. Some species, such as red fire ants, have stingers that inject venom. Stings cause red, itchy bumps as well as more severe reactions, such as chest pain, stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, and breathing problems.

3. Structural Damage

pest controlSome ant species can inflict structural damage on your home. Carpenter ants tunnel through damp wood to make nests and frequently target decks, door and window frames, walls, and porches. Any unchecked leaks can attract ants when nearby wood starts rotting from continual moisture exposure.

4. Other Pest Invasions

The tiny insects provide food for spiders such as brown recluses and black widows. They also attract bats that can cause wood decay, foul odors, metal and clay corrosion, and stains through their guano, or waste. Guano features high amounts of uric acid that accelerate corrosion and decay. Bat excrement also carries fungal spores that cause histoplasmosis infections. Symptoms include headache, fever, chills, and muscle aches. 

 

Don’t let ants take over your home. Stay proactive with pest control solutions from Extermination Services. Offering insect and rodent control services, these licensed exterminators help residents throughout Port Orchard, WA, maintain safe homes. They also offer 90-day warranties for pests. Call (360) 895-1890 today to make an appointment, or learn more about their pest control services online.

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