Portland Ant Control
A bustling city nestled inside the sea of trees, Portland is one of the most unique cities in America. Life in Portland is great for nature lovers and city dwellers because of the endless opportunity to enjoy both scenes. From the outside looking in, many would never guess the importance of Portland ant control.
Where humans continue to thrive, ants are indeed around the corner, ready to take advantage of our resources. Long-time Portland residents understand the importance of Portland ant control because of the overwhelming ant colonies in the city.
It is a matter of time before you come home, flip the lights on, and find ants swarming your home. Do not fight through this overwhelming situation alone because ants are one of the most relentless house pests in Portland. Finding Portland ant control will give you peace of mind knowing a professional team will be there when ants strike.
How Ant Colonies Operate
To better combat your house enemy, you must understand who they are first. Ant colonies are highly complex, sharing similar traits to termites and bee colony organization.
Here are some of the significant roles inside an ant colony:
- Queen- The Queen is the deciding factor between whether the colony thrives or dies. A Queen is the only ant in the entire colony that lays eggs and grows the population. They do not harvest for food or defend the colony; they only focus on population growth.
- Workers- The worker ants consist of all the females in the entire colony. They are responsible for harvesting food, tending to the eggs, and defending the colony when under attack.
- Mates- To be a male in an ant colony is a short-lived life since they are only for mating. After mating with the Queen, males are voted out of the colony and have to survive alone.
Control and Detection
Several factors play to ant’s advantage when gaining access to the home, making Portland ant control a real challenge. First, they are tiny, making it easy to crawl under, in between, or over any obstacle that stands in the way. Additionally, they use their entire colony to harvest food sources, opening many opportunities for them to spread around the home.
Here are a few familiar places to find ants around the home.
Inside The Home
• Kitchen- Food storage areas, under the sink, behind appliances, window sill
• Bedrooms- Behind baseboards, under or behind beds
• Bathrooms- Under sinks, behind plumbing lines, behind baseboards
Outside The Home
- Foundation- Typically, if there are any gaps or cracks
- Foliage- Anything touching the house will give ants a chance to get inside
- Garden- They will swarm a thriving garden and munch away at any progress
Portland Ant Control and Identification
Anyone living in Portland for an extended time will eventually come across ants. Due to the heavy amounts of available water and food sources, Portland is home to hundreds of different ant species.
Despite so many ant species existing, there are a few notable species that residents will most likely encounter. Portland ant control must be flexible to handle these different species as they sometimes require other treatment approaches.
Pavement Ant Control in Portland
The Pavement Ant is another common species that will live around and inside Portland homes. Pavement Ants prefer to live under cracks in sidewalks and driveways but will eventually work inside if given the opportunity.
These ants are almost identical to Odorous House Ants, the most significant difference being their equally sized body segments. Ant control for Pavement Ants in Portland typically requires baits since their colonies are difficult to treat directly.
Characteristics:
- Pavement Ants usually grow to about ⅛” in size
- Typically dark brown/black in color
Control the Portland Odorous House Ants
If any ant species are likely to appear inside the house, it is the Odorous House Ant. These ants are one of the smallest ant species in Portland and the most plentiful too!
The Odorous House Ant earns its name by the distinct rotten, coconut-like smell their bodies release when crushed. These ants are heavily attracted to moisture and will most likely show up in areas of the home with plumbing leaks.
Unfortunately, they are expert pantry raiders and can be challenging to eliminate because of their large colony sizes. This ant species is the most common for Portland ant control specialist to encounter and are often the most stubborn.
Characteristics:
- Odorous House Ants have massively disproportionate bodies. Their abdomens are much larger than the rest of their bodies which is a key identifier.
- Usually brown/black in color.
Portland Velvety Tree Ant Control And Identification
One of the lesser-known ant species in Portland is the Velvety Tree Ant. As the name insists, this ant species will likely live inside trees, specifically moisture-rich and rotting trees. However, most of the time, they access the home through foliage touching the house.
The velvet-like hair on their abdomen is the biggest identifier since this species is often mistaken for Carpenter Ants. Velvety Tree Ants not only have painful bites, but they will spray acid into their victims.
This ant species needs professional Portland ant control when active in a home because they are very aggressive.
Characteristics:
- Red/Black in color with some hints of Yellow from a distance
- ¼” in size, more significant than most house ants but smaller than Carpenter Ants
- Also, secrets a rotten, coconut-like scent when crushed
Controlling Carpenter Ants in Portland
No homeowner wants to hear they have an active Carpenter Ant colony growing in their homes. Carpenter Ants are necessarily dangerous to humans, but they will inflict damage to the house. This ant species is a Wood Destroying Insect and requires immediate professional treatment. We recommend seeking Portland ant control if there is any suspected Carpenter Ant activity on the property.
Carpenter Ants can consume cellulose in wood which, given enough quiet time, will start to destroy the home. To inflict enough damage to destroy a house will take years if only a single colony exists. However, since they typically reside within the walls, a colony can live quietly in your home without you ever knowing.
Characteristics:
- Usually, Red/Black in color
- They typically grow to be about ½”, but some can grow to a full inch.
- Carpenter Ants prefer soft wood, so they will most likely be in moisture-dense areas.
Get Professional Ant Control
Ants are most active in the warmer months for the rest of the country, but unfortunately, Portland is the exception. The heavy moisture and plentiful foliage mixed with the available food sources make Portland an excellent ant breeding ground. As a result, homeowners in Portland will experience ant activity all year long, making the swarming months even worse!
When you’re tired of seeing the ants running around your home, contact Prime Pest Solutions. Our Portland Ant Control program consists of finding active ant colonies and completely removing them from home.
Additionally, the ant control program takes a proactive approach to ensure no other colonies find their way inside. Hire a team that will have your back when situations arise, so you no longer have to face them alone!
