Are Little Black Ants In Richmond, VA Dangerous?

Little black ants are 1/16 of an inch-long, shiny black ants that are native to North America. It is common to find them crawling around in our yards, on our driveways, and on the sides of our homes. These ants establish colonies that are moderate to very large, and they explore every crack and crevice they find. If they find a pathway into your home, they can enter in large numbers. Once inside, they're likely to explore your trash receptacles and climb around on food, counters, cutting boards, dishes, silverware, and more. They're also likely to get into your stored foods if they're able. The link between your trash and your stored foods is one of the concerns with these ants. When little black ants feed on something that is decaying, they can pick up harmful microorganisms and then transport them to sensitive locations. We're going to explore this problem today and discuss some ways you can protect yourself and your family from little black ants infesting your Richmond home.

Dirty Things

Your trash receptacle is obviously the first and most likely location ants will pick up harmful bacteria and other microorganisms, but it is far from the only place. There are many places within your home that these ants may be exposed to things that are decaying. They may find some juice under your fridge, or under a counter, that is fermenting. They may find rotting juices or food in the gap between your oven and your counter. They may get into unclean recycling items. The secret to protecting yourself from stomach illness that can result from a little black ant infestation is to clean and sanitize as much as possible.

Access

When addressing little black ants, it is important to consider how they get in and how they move around inside your home. Sealing entry points prevent little black ants from accessing dirty locations near your Richmond home, such as exterior trash receptacles, and bringing harmful organisms in from outside.

Exterior Entry Points

• Small spaces and tiny gaps in the weatherstripping seal around exterior doors.
• Gaps around exterior window and door frames.
• Damaged screens.
• Holes created by pests that damage wood.
• Damaged door sweeps.

Interior Access Points.

• These ants are drawn to moisture. You can expect them to get into your kitchen through moisture points, such as the pipe penetration underneath your kitchen sink. Check to make sure there are no gaps around your pipes.
• Kitchen windows can be an issue. Inspect around your kitchen windows and seal any gaps you find.
• Inspect the insides of your exterior doors, especially sliding glass doors. Address any gaps or cracks you find.

Food Sources

The reason these ants get into your Richmond home is a simple one. When worker ants find a food source, they tell the other workers. If you remove food sources inside your home, you might be able to make these ants go back outside and stop coming inside. This is another reason to sanitize everything. But keeping things clean isn't the only thing you need to consider.

• Store fruits in your fridge. If you display fruit on your island, counter, or kitchen table, you may invite ants into your home.
• Put vegetables, such as potatoes, inside sealed bins.
• Feed your dog or cat only during mealtimes. These ants can eat sweets and meats.
• Put dirty dishes in a sink full of soapy water. A dry stack of dishes next to a sink can be very enticing to little black ants.
• Store your pantry foods in sealed glass or plastic containers.

Yard Work

The more ants you have near your Richmond home, the more ants you're going to have getting inside. Blowing leaves out of your landscaping, trimming your bushes and vegetation, and removing objects these ants can hide under will go a long way toward arresting your ant problems.

Interior Nests

Little black ants can make a nest inside your home. If they do, you'll have trouble getting control of them with good sanitation, proper food management, or exterior yard management.

How To Deal With Little Black Ants In Richmond

It is best to contact Go-Forth Home Services when these ants continue to be a nuisance. While they are mostly harmless, they can be very annoying, and super persistent. Our licensed pest professionals know what products and methods work to locate and eliminate ant colonies. We can help you flick the reset button on your ant problems and get you back to the way life should be… ant-free.