The majority of indoor ants are relatively harmless, although it can be offputting to find them in your food or on your counters. Carpenter ants, however, can cause damage to your home, which means you don’t want them around. There is also a chance that your garden variety ants can spread bacteria, so you should consider taking steps to remove them from your house.
Luckily, a
professional pest removal company can help keep ants away from your house, preventing carpenter ants from chewing wood and sugar ants from contaminating food and transmitting bacteria to countertops.
But do ants hibernate? Not necessarily. This means they can enter your home all year long.
Winter Ants in the House
If you see ants in your home, it’s because overwintering ant colonies are still active during the cold winter months. Yes, ant activity decreases as temperatures drop, but your home is still susceptible to an infestation.
Sometimes, ants come out from their underground nests during warm winter days. They might make their way indoors when temperatures drop again, looking for warm shelter, water, and food sources.
If you have an infestation, you’ll commonly notice ants creating cozy nests inside your walls, along with moldings and baseboards. They can also nest underneath your countertops, which means your kitchen — and its food — is at risk of contamination.
But do ants hibernate in the winter? Not in the traditional sense. Instead, they act a bit more sluggish and word to conserve their energy. They create nests deep in the soil and in trees.
Carpenter Ants in the Winter
Do carpenter ants hibernate, or do they come out in the winter?
Carpenter
ants enter diapause, a type of hibernation that other insects also enter. It’s not the same as hibernation, however. They protect themselves by building nests in trees, old stumps, or logs. As temperatures drop, they enter dormancy and seal off these colonies.
Since carpenter ants don’t actually hibernate, they can infest your home in the winter. They come out looking for nutrients and food, which means you might find damage to your home when temperatures drop. These ants look for any type of food or dead insects to feed on, so keep an eye out for these pests before they destroy your home.
Keep Ants Out This Winter
The best way to keep ants out —
especially in your kitchen — is to look for areas prone to moisture and correct the issue. You should also make your kitchen as unattractive to ants as possible.
Cover trash or take it out frequently. Keep counters clean and free from uncovered food.
Keep food in sealed containers‚ pet food included.
Always keep counters clean from sugar and grease. Vacuum regularly and remove clutter from your home.
It’s best to contact a professional pest removal company to look for gaps or cracks in your foundation, along with other ant entry points, sealing anything they find.
Do Ants Go Into Hibernation?
Not exactly. It’s common for ants to enter diapause, which is a type of dormancy when it gets cold out. They do, however, come out to forage for food, which means your house could become a place they quickly infest.
How to Get Rid of Ants Indoors
If you’re wondering how to get rid of ants indoors this winter, you can try keeping your home clean and clutter-free. However, you may need a professional if you have an abundance of pests, especially carpenter ants.
If you’re looking to remove an infestation or simply want to invest in preventative pest control maintenance, Serene Property Services can help. We service all of Sussex County, NJ, and Warwick, NY, and can help you remove an ant infestation from your property. We also specialize in safe and humane wildlife removal, so be sure to
contact us today.
