Summer Ant Control Tips

We can all agree that ants are a real nuisance this time of year as the temperatures heat up and colonies underground start feelin' the burn. Many ants will turn to the comfort of your own home to seek out food and moisture. Aside from keeping your trusty pest control company on speed dial during these summer months, here are some big helpful tips to keep the those little pests away!

First and foremost, after a pest control visit, ant activity may seem to get worse before it gets better. This is because if bait was used, the ants need time to carry the 'food' back to their colony in order to share, and this will be much more effective when wiping out the entire colony preventing future visitors of this particular colony. While it may be *extremely* difficult to avoid intervening with the invasion during this time, (DO NOT use your own Raid or pesticide to wipe them up right away) you need to let the bait work it's magic. After allowing the bait to be carried back by the ants over-night, carefully wipe down the counter with Windex the next day, which will remove any and all pheromones that the ants left behind so they won't be able to return. By this point, the colony should be wiped out and you can give yourself a congratulatory pat on the back! 

As you already know, ants are serious scavengers. It always helps stay ahead of an ant invasion by keeping crumbs swept up and pet kibble stored securely. We always advise buying plastic containers to store pet kibble so ants aren't attracted to the dry food. (Fun Fact: This will also double in preventing a rodent problem as well!) If you feed your pets outdoors and leave a bowl of kibble for them to graze on through out the day, we advise placing the food dish within a shallow bowl of water. This creates a moat around the food dish, making it impossible for ants to access the dry food within. We suspect that your pet will encounter less unwelcome guests to his or her dining experience when this method is used. 

In closing, if you have regular pest control service, just know that you have unlimited call backs in between services for reasons like ant invasions. We understand that regardless of taking ALL the preventative measures out there to avoid unwelcome pests, they can and will pop up every now and again. Please know that you are NEVER bothering us by requesting a callback visit, because will do whatever it takes to make sure you are living in a comfortable, pest-controlled environment. 

The Bullet Ant

Parponera Clavata

aka "Bullet Ant"

Thought you had an ant problem? Try living in the Amazonian Forest and having to deal with Bullet Ants. If your living in Nicaragua, Honduras, Paraguay or Costa Rica you know just what kind of ant I am talking about. The Bullet Ant is also known as the 24hour Ant which describes the lasting pain after a sting. A sting from the Bullet Ant can leave its victim weak, swollen and wiped out. In question to whether or not a Bullet Ant can kill a human is most likely only if the victim has an allergic reaction to the bite  or not.

Be Warned

The Bullet Ant will never attack unless provoked. They will first release a strong odor to serve as a warning before it will attack. While they are intimidating they will warn you first, don't say I didn't tell you so.

Tribe Rituals

Some native tribes use the Bullet Ants in initiation ceremonies for bringing young men into adulthood. The elders of the tribe first gather many of the ants and sedate them with a drug to make them drowsy long enough to place them into large woven mitts. Next, the young males must wear the mitts filled with the angry waking Bullet Ants for 10 minutes. They must endure the continuing pain of the bites for at least the next 24hours.  This ritual is done a total of 20 times in order to bring the young men into adulthood. Good thing we do not have Bullet ants here in the states!

Just Plain Ants

While you probably don't have a problem with angry Bullet Ants on your hands you may have a pesky plain ant problem taking over your kitchen, and if that is the case you need a Professional to help you with that. Call Black Knight Pest Control and ask about our Ant Control Service. We have a plan that will work for you!

Scorpions

Beware of Scorpions

During periods of hot weather scorpions are known to enter the home through any cracks or openings that there may be in and around the home. They tend to favor crawl spaces and attics once inside the home. Scorpions are nocturnal therefor can mostly be seen at night. Their diet mostly consists of insects such as crickets, cockroaches and spiders and can survive for months without food as long as they have a water source.

The Sting

As a defense mechanism scorpions are known to sting. If a human is stung by a scorpion they most likely would experience mild symptoms similar to a bee sting. There are some species of scorpions that carry a dangerous venom which can be fatal to humans.

Prevention

If you are concerned about scorpions being a threat to your home you may want to take some precautions to help keep them away. Start by eliminating places around your home where these pests can harbor such as wood piles, trash and debris. If you are storing any firewood on the property make sure that is at least 20ft away from your home. Also, sealing any cracks in and around your home is a must, this will not only keep scorpions out but any other pests that may be wanting to enter your home as well. Be sure that all screens on windows and doors are secure and without and any tears. Last, check that the garage door closes to the ground and there is not an opening for them to crawl in.

Black Knight Pest Control

951-694-8100