Total Ant Prevention For Chicago Residents
Ants may not seem like much of a threat or nuisance, but if they’re in your Chicago home, they can cause significant problems.
Here’s what Chicago homeowners should know about the types of ants you may find in your home, which ones bite, and how to prevent them or get rid of them quickly if you do have them.
How Can I Tell What Type Of Ants Are On My Chicago Property?
The first step to ant prevention is identifying the types of ants on your Chicago property.
Some of the most common kinds of ants you may encounter include:
- Argentine ants: With dark brown to shiny black coloring, Argentine ants can live beneath sidewalks or inside homes as long as they have a food source. Their colonies are known for growing quite large, so these ants can quickly become a big nuisance.
- Carpenter ants: Their coloring can range from red to black, and carpenter ants prefer to feed on water-damaged wood. Over time, these ants can cause a lot of structural damage if the infestation goes untreated.
- Odorous house ants: Odorous house ants have a big sweet tooth, and they get their name from the rotten coconut-like odor that they emit when they’re crushed.
- Pharaoh ants: With yellow coloring, Pharaoh ants are easy to identify, but they’re not just a nuisance-they can also spread bacteria and may contaminate your home or other buildings.
- Small honey ants: These small ants tend to live in small colonies and are usually more active in the colder months. While you may find them outside, but these ants can also nest indoors.
Which Ants In Chicago Bite?
You may not hear much about ant bites, but there are a few species in Chicago that can bite – such as carpenter ants. However, carpenter ants are not aggressive and usually only bite if they feel threatened or cornered.
Their bites may cause mild irritation or swelling like a bug bite, but they are not considered medically dangerous.
Even if carpenter ants are the only species capable of biting, other species, like pharaoh ants, can still cause harm by contaminating your home with dangerous bacteria. You may hear someone talk about being bitten by a fire ant, but this bite is much more likely a sting. Fire ant stings are extremely painful and can cause issues for those who are allergic to fire ant venom or those who are stung repeatedly. However, these stings do not generally require medical attention.
Hear From Our Happy Customers
At Aerex Pest Control, your satisfaction is our priority! See for yourself what our customers have to say about working with us.
-
"Knowledgeable and efficient service."Very knowledgeable and efficient service. Great on the phone and got someone out right away to spray for mosquitos and ticks. Would recommend to anyone wanting great service; this is the best company used in the Chicagoland area.- TRJ Fitness And Performance
-
"Professional and effective pest control."Aerex Pest Control has always been an excellent resource for our home pest control. They are professional and effective whether dealing with ants, bugs, spiders, or mice. Highly recommend them.- Mac Family
-
"Highly recommend Aerex."I always use Aerex when I have a pest control problem. They scheduled an appointment for the next day, identified the issue (I thought it was ants, but I was wrong), and immediately provided the solution. I would recommend Aerex to everyone with a pest issue.- J “Junior” Freedman
-
"Smart, thorough, and very nice."Aerex Pest Control has been our go-to for 25 years. The team is smart, thorough, and very nice. Highly recommend their services!- Barrie Earhart
-
"Personable and detail-oriented service."Aerex Pest Control provided exceptional service. They were on time, personable, and extremely detail-oriented. Noticed a water tank leak we hadn't seen. Their vigilance and professionalism are greatly appreciated. Highly recommend!- Barb Maloney
-
"Today’s service was great."Mark arrived early after calling to let me know we could start earlier if that worked with my schedule, it did. He was friendly and thorough.- Meredith C.
-
"Reliable, available, effective."Mike is very friendly, cooperative. He knows our house well as to where there are concerns for critter control. We are very happy with Aerex.- Judith N.
-
"Mike is the best."Mike showed up on time and was friendly with our crazy dogs and familiar with the house, even though he hasn’t been here in a while. Can’t ask for more for a semi-annual service and serviceman.- Cissy G.
Aerex's Tips & Tricks
Want all the latest news or updates? Browse through our blog to read our most recent posts and featured articles.
