Locating and Treating an Ant Nest
Have you ever tried looking for an ant’s nest? At times, they can appear easy to find. Some ants create large mounds that mark their nests. Some collect piles of leaves and other decaying material, which brings attention to their home base. But these obvious signs of a nest can be deceiving, since ant colonies typically run deep into the ground.
How to find ant nests
If you’ve discovered ants around the perimeter of your home, or worse, in your kitchen, then there is probably a colony of ants somewhere nearby. Ants also create scent trails to communicate with other ants, so you may notice a faint, pungent smell.
Eliminating ants
When asking about how to kill ant nests or how to kill ant mounds, what you are actually trying to do is break up an ant colony. If you can find the queen of the colony, this might be an easier task. Most ant colonies can’t survive long without a queen. However, many colonies also have more than one queen and trying to figure out which ants are queen ants is impossible. So what should you do if you find an ant nest in your house?
How to “kill” an ant nest and ant mounds
Ant nests are sometimes attached to ant mounds. Ants build mounds to help maintain heat within the nest, which can help ants in the winter survive. Knocking over an ant mound, however, will not kill ants, nests or colonies located in or around your home. Of course a few might die, but the average nest is about 7 feet deep. A number of products are sold that can help treat this type of problem, but the best solution is to call a pest management professional.
Practicing ant prevention tips can also be an important part of a pest management solution. For advice on which solution will be most effective in your home, call Terminix® and receive a free pest estimate.
