When you think of ants, you might picture tiny creatures that move quickly and don’t seem dangerous. Even though sidewalk ants are small, they can do a lot of damage to your home over time. Let’s learn more about the damage sidewalk ants can do and what that means for your environment.
Find out who did it
Pavement ants, which are called Tetramorium caespitum by scientists, are a popular type of ant that lives in cities and suburbs. These ants get their name from the fact that they often crawl along roads, pavements, and driveways. Their dark colour and segmented bodies make them easy to spot.
How pavement ants act and where they live
Pavement ants are clever hunters who look for food scraps and sweet things around them. They like to build their homes under concrete slabs, roads, and building foundations, which makes it easy for them to get onto your property. These nests often have more than one entry, which makes it easy for the ants to come and go.
Pavement ants do damage to things.
Even though sidewalk ants don’t usually cause as much damage as termites or carpenter ants, they can still do a lot of damage that can affect both the way your property looks and how it works.
- Undermining the structure: When pavement ants build their nests, they can damage the structure of concrete surfaces. They dig holes in the ground to make their nests, which leaves holes under sidewalks and pavement. Over time, this can lead to uneven surfaces, cracks, and other things that could cause people to trip.
- Effects on the landscape: Pavement ant nests can cause problems with your landscaping that go beyond the buildings on your property. As they dig under the ground and the sidewalk, the ground can become uneven and sink. This can change how your yard looks and how you can use your outdoor areas.
- Foundation Vulnerability: Pavement ants don’t damage structures directly like termites or carpenter ants do, but the way they build their nests can have an indirect effect on your home’s foundation. Over time, their actions could cause holes in the ground, which could lead to soil erosion and make your house less stable.
- Dangers from electricity: Some types of sidewalk ants like to build their nests near electrical lines or outlets. Even though they don’t chew through wires, having them around electrical parts can increase the chance of short circuits and fires.
- Pavement ants can hurt your yard and plants when they go looking for food. Honeydew, a sweet liquid made by aphids and scale insects, draws them in. If these pests are on your plants, pavement ants might protect them in return for honeydew, which can hurt your plants over time.
Lessening and stopping
Consider these steps to protect your property and limit the harm caused by pavement ants:
- Sealing Entry Points: Look for cracks and holes in the pavement and concrete structures on your land. If you seal these openings, ants won’t be able to get in and live there.
- Maintaining Cleanliness: If you clean up food scraps and crumbs from your property, sidewalk ants may be less likely to come there. Make sure to clean outdoor eating areas often and keep trash in the right place.
- planting: Good planting can help cut down on the number of pavement ants. Make sure there is good drainage to reduce the amount of damp places that these ants like.
- Professional Pest Control: If you have a problem with sidewalk ants that won’t go away, you should call a professional pest control service. Experts can look at the situation, come up with effective cures, and give advice on how to avoid problems in the long run.
Even though sidewalk ants might not be as well-known as other pests that cause damage, their presence can cause a number of problems with property. By knowing the possible effects of pavement ant damage and taking steps to avoid and get rid of infestations, you can keep your property’s structure and appearance in good shape.
At Ant Exterminator Oshawa we offer long-term solutions that can guarantee the eradication of pest presence throughout the property. We treat residential properties as well as commercial properties.