Is It Dangerous To Have Pavement Ants On My Springfield Property?

May 7, 2021

In: Ants

Thinking of pests in terms of how directly dangerous they are is the wrong way of looking at it. Even non-threatening pests can lead to larger problems. Untreated infestations of any kind put you at a greater risk of attracting the potentially dangerous pests that are around. Therefore, no ant population should be treated as insignificant, and being able to prevent colonies from forming is important for all Springfield property owners.

What Are Pavement Ants?

Some of the most common ants around are pavement ants, the kind that you typically see crawling around outdoors in the soil or between cracks in the sidewalk. Pavement ants are considered nuisance pests -- not directly dangerous but very common. Tiny and black, pavement ants look a lot like other common species, so rather than focus on physical traits that you’re unlikely to notice anyway, it’s better to know where you can often find pavement ants:

• Soils: Pavement ants build tunnels in the soil, so they prefer to make their homes out in the lawn or subterranean dirt found below rocks and deadwood.
• Moisture: All kinds of pests are attracted to moist areas, and pavement ants are often found gathering in areas with excess water.
• Rock: Pavement ants don’t only like pavement itself. They will frequent any kinds of rocks that press down onto soils and grasses.

Even Harmless Things Can Create Problems

Just because pavement ants aren’t particularly dangerous doesn’t mean they aren’t problematic. Like all pests, the presence of pavement ants can lead to all of the following issues around your property:

• Contamination: Pavement ants are foragers, attracted to food traces and moisture found anywhere on a property. That includes indoors and directly inside of food packaging.
• Proliferation: Ants breed in the thousands and a single colony can grow into a massive problem.
• Other pests: Ants are pretty low on the food chain, meaning their presence on a property often draws other pests, the predators that hunt them, to that same area.

Pavement Ant Prevention For Your Property

To prevent the larger issues that a pest infestation can cause, you should take steps to prevent a pest population long before one becomes obvious. These are all smart steps to take:

• Landscaping: Since pests usually start outdoors and then invade inside, it’s important to make sure that no attractive outdoor areas are too close to your structures. Overgrown vegetation, rock features, and moist soils are all problem factors in a yard.
• Crack sealing: Pavement ants, with their ability to dart in and out of cracks, demonstrate exactly how small of a space that tiny pests can crawl through. You should check your exterior and fix any faults you find.
• Treatments: The surest way to ward off pests is with yard and exterior treatments of your structures, which repel existing populations and prevent future ones from invading.

Only Experts Can Fully Eliminate Them

Because pavement ants show how the chain of pests often begins with the small, harmless ones, the biggest takeaway for Massachusetts property owners is that it’s never too early to start protecting against infestations. At American Pest Solutions, we can help you at any step of the way, from early prevention to timely elimination of existing pest problems. That kind of professional approach is better than trying DIY solutions or hoping that general maintenance will be enough. Only through expert assistance can you make sure that pest problems don’t grow out of control and lead to far worse problems. Contact us today to get started on an inspection of your property, even if you don’t already suspect an infestation.

For total protection against pavement ants and other tiny invaders, contact American Pest Solutions.