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Ants are among the most industrious and hard-working insects in the natural world. You’ve probably heard about their fabled strength (an individual ant can reportedly lift up to 50 times its own body weight), and if you’ve ever seen an ant colony up close, you know that they reproduce quickly. Plus, for every ant you do see, there are hundreds or even thousands more you don’t see.
Therefore, although an ant infestation isn’t dangerous, it’s certainly a major nuisance. And once an ant problem has reached infestation level, it’s going to take a lot of hard work to eradicate them all. If you’re worried you have an ant infestation, here are four signs that could confirm your suspicion:
1. Ants have overrun exposed food
If you haven’t had pest problems before, you probably tend to leave leftovers exposed for short periods of time, or keep items in your pantry in their original containers. When an ant infestation is present, none of these items are safe. Ants will eventually sniff out the exposed food, and you will find it crawling with worker ants before long. To prevent further problems, store all food in the refrigerator or in airtight containers
2. Fido’s food bowl has been infiltrated
Ants aren’t picky; they’ll eat whatever food is available, including food which belongs to your pets. If you have dogs or cats, you’ll likely find a trail of ants leading up to and inside their food bowl.
3. You notice stray ants walking around
The search for food is a continuous one for ants, and when there’s a major infestation present, there will be plenty of scout ants wandering around your home. If you regularly spot individual ants in unconventional places, such as your bedroom or the bathroom, they are probably part of a much larger infestation.
4. You find ant nests outside the home
Ants won’t often build their nests inside of your home, but infestations are usually accompanied by nests that are within close distance of the house, or even adjacent to exterior walls. Look for small mounds of dirt with plenty of ants milling around. They will seem minor and insignificant, but there are countless ants just underneath the surface.
