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If you thought regular ants were bad, you will despise the Southern Fire Ant. These ants are known to be brightly red-colored and sting any human that dares cross its path. These ants may look underwhelming; however, their stings burn and itch for days after the attack. We aren’t just talking about a singular ant too, fire ants like to stick together. This means that if you get in the way of one, the others are not too far behind. While we usually do not see these ants in the home as often as the typical black colored ant, it does happen from time to time. The only way to keep out is to learn what exactly it is that attracts them to the house. This is important for the sake of yourself and the sake of your home. Once these ants make themselves at home they tend to do some damage. To avoid these problems keep reading below to learn what not to do.

Movement of Plants

This doesn’t help everyone avoid these ants, but if gardening or keeping flowers in the home are things you like, then this applies to you. Having flowers or plants of any kind be moved from outdoors or a store inside your home can cause fire ants to make your home theirs. Even having a few of these ants is just enough for them to create a whole nest and tribe. To avoid having this problem we recommend looking over and washing any plants that come from stores. This way if there is a fire ant or any other bugs on your plant, you can get rid of them before they call your home their home. This is also true of any plants you have grown or had sitting outside. Fire ants love plants and will quickly flock to them when outdoors. Examining your plants before moving them around will save you a larger hassle in the long run.

A Messy Home

Similar to other kinds of bugs, having a messy home will attract fire ants. Bugs, like us humans, require food, shelter, and water. These are all things your home can easily provide given they get access to it. Cleaning up all food crumbs and messes rapidly will turn ants off from entering your home. This doesn’t just apply to human messes either; clean up your dog’s messes and any food they have left behind. Ants love dog food and will be more drawn to your house if its frequently laying around. Another pro tip for cleaning up, never let the trash be dumped too close to your home. Having your trash near the lawn and the home will attract ants inside your home. If the trash is going outside make sure to put it as far away from your house as possible.

Faulty Construction Practices

This reason for fire ants is not always in the control of the homeowner; however, it can be a large contributing factor to why fire ants flock to your home. An aspect of this you can control though is properly sealing windows. Fire ants like to creep in through a variety of ways. Leaving windows open or not sealed correctly gives them the perfect opportunity to sneak into your home. Be sure to also regularly check any holes or cracks in the walls, especially those near plumbing. You may not notice the ants at first, but you will eventually notice soil or dirt in these areas. Fire ants like to bring these supplies into your home so they can make their living situation while in your home. If you see this then call an exterminator right away.

Fire ants are not enjoyable to approach outdoors and most definitely are not enjoyable when seen in your home. To keep them out of your home, making sure you do not do the three items above will help. Although, if you already have noticed soil, dirt, or ants in the home, then it’s time to give our team at Quality Pest Control a call. To learn more about fire ants and what attracts them to your home, give us a call today!