Marching across the floor, up the wall and across the counter, ants search for bits of food.
The stray granules of sugar beside the coffee pot, the potato chip crumbs stuck in the couch, the grease left over in the dog food bowl — you might be surprised what small things attract ants into homes each spring.
It’s a problem many people deal with each year, a nuisance that seems inevitable. But is it really? With a little investigative work, you may be able to get rid of the issue entirely.
“Identification is the way to go first,” said Clay Kirby, insect diagnostician at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Pest Management Office. “With identification we can learn a little bit more about specific biology and how to manage it.”
Ants that infiltrate Maine homes come in all shapes and sizes. There are carpenter ants, pavement ants, odorous house ants, thief ants, acrobat ants and pharaoh ants, just to name a few of the most common. And all of them have different food and habitat preferences. Knowing what species you’re dealing with can help you tackle the problem. To do that, turn to the experts.
The County is pleased to feature content from our sister company, Bangor Daily News. To read the rest of “How to get rid of ants invading your home,” an article by contributing Bangor Daily News staff writer Aislinn Sarnacki, please follow this link to the BDN online.
