As ant experts, we notice interesting things about ants. For instance, they are no respecter of property – they invade homes of all sizes equally, and they infest EVERY neighborhood. They are so common a problem that they are the #1 pest listed in gallop polls. You can be sure that every day, ants are either invading your home, or trying to.
The first ants that crawl into a home are the scouts, looking for food, water, or a nesting place. Once they find what they are looking for, they go back to their colony, laying down a scent trail as they go so other ants can more quickly find their way. Depending on the ant species, they may prefer sweet, or proteins like meat and grease. Many ants eat both, but they often switch their food preferences from day to day.
Whenever possible, never provide ants food and water. Clean up crumbs, grease and liquid spills. Place opened food in the refrigerator or in sealed containers. Use garbage bags, or regularly rinse out your indoor and outdoor garbage containers.
Some ant species would like to move their entire colony indoors. They may nest in the oddest places, but favorite areas are behind walls and baseboards, beneath floors, in the soil of potted plants, and in other hidden areas.
Ants are prone to invading in the fall, but can invade year round as well. Check to see what other pests invade in the fall:
Pests That Invade in the Fall
As the area ant experts, we effectively control these common and persistent invaders. If you know someone who suffers from these pests, please tell them about our professional and courteous Best of Essex Award winning services.
Mosquito Blood Meals – the lusher your yard – the more likely mosquitoes will hang around your yard!!!
During a two-year period, most of the mosquitoes trapped were either Asian tiger mosquitoes that transmit West Nile, Zika, encephalitis, and dengue fever, or Culex mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus.
A DNA analysis of the blood in engorged female mosquitoes found that, surprisingly, rats were the most common meal of the Asian tiger mosquito, and they were the second most common meal of the Culex mosquitoes, after birds. Humans and cats were next in meal frequency, and a smaller amount of blood was taken from deer and dogs.
The researchers believe the mosquitoes sucked from humans differed in various areas of the city. Where people spent more time in their backyards, and their yards had shade, moisture, and lots of plants where mosquitoes were more abundant, more blood was coming from people than animals.