Month: April 2021

When you see little black ants crawling around on the outside of your Hendersonville home, you may wonder if those ants are going to be harmful to your property, especially if you’re aware that carpenter ants can be black. Carpenter ants tunnel through wood and, over time, they can do quite a bit of damage if left untreated. You have good reason to be concerned. But little black ants don’t damage the wood of Hendersonville homes. They don’t carve out galleries in wood to create a place for their nests. They nest in the ground. But how do you tell the difference between black carpenter ants and little black ants if they’re both black? One way is to look at the size. Carpenter ants are much larger than little black ants. There is a reason why this ant species has “little” in its name. Workers are only 1/16 of an inch. Carpenter ant workers range from ½ to ⅝ of an inch. They’re much larger. If you see black ants, and they look like thousands of little specks running around on the ground, or climbing the side of your home, those aren’t carpenter ants. So, you don’t need to worry about them damaging your home. But, are there other ways they can be harmful? Here are a few things you should know about these little pests.

How do little black ants compare to other ants?

Some ants sting. The red imported fire ant is an example of an ant that does this. It can be unpleasant to be stung by fire ants as the wounds burn. When scratched, these wounds can become infected. While little black ants have a stinger, it is too small and weak to be effective against human skin.

Some ants spray formic acid. The crazy ant is an example of an ant that does this. While not painful, it can be unpleasant to have crazy ants crawl all over your skin and spray you. Little black ants don’t spray formic acid. Here’s a fun fact: Formic acid is sort of an antidote to fire ant venom, and it has made crazy ants the arch-nemesis of fire ants.

Some ants spread diseases. The Pharaoh ant is an example of an ant that does this. Pharaoh ants are an efficient mechanical vector for microorganisms as they are drawn to the open wounds of pets, livestock, and humans. While little black ants can get into your trash and accidentally bring harmful bacteria into your pantry and kitchen, they’re not efficient at doing so, and they are mostly considered nuisance pests.

How Little Black Ants Become A Problem

What is likely to happen with little black ants is that they will come close to your Hendersonville home when they search for honeydew on landscape plants. Honeydew is a sweet excretion produced by aphids. If you have issues with aphids, you shouldn’t be surprised when you start seeing lots of little black ants.

Once little black ants start establishing nests near your home, such as underneath your driveway, pathways, a sidewalk, your foundation, a pile of wood or stone, and other ideal nesting spaces, they’ll start to explore your exterior. Since they’re so small, it is pretty easy for them to get inside.

If scout ants find a food source in your home, they let the other ants in their colony know where the food is by laying down a chemical trail. Within a short time, you can have hundreds of ants mobbing a food package in your pantry or kitchen. When they get in your food, they can make you want to throw that food out. That is why they’re a problem.

Ant Control In Hendersonville

If you see little black ants around, or inside your home, you don’t need to be too concerned. They’re mostly nuisance pests. If you’d prefer to not be annoyed by them, remember that the service team at All-American Pest Control is always available to help you keep ants and other pests out. Reach out to us for immediate assistance. 

Do you know what a termite swarmer is or what it looks like? We hope you do. Swarmers can give you important information about your Brentwood property. Here’s what every Brentwood homeowner should know.

Swarmers Are Not A Species Of Termite

There are several species of termite in the United States. All of them have wingless workers, and all of them will, at some point, have winged termites in their colonies. Winged termites are reproductive termites. Unlike the workers, winged termites don’t feed on wood. When you see them on your property, you don’t have to worry about them causing damage or chewing a tunnel to get inside. But you shouldn’t ignore them. There are reasons to be concerned.

Swarmers Create Nests

The job of a termite swarmer is to build a nest. If you see swarmers on your exterior, it is important to understand that they could make a nest in your yard (if they haven’t already). If they do, they’re going to produce workers that can damage the wood of your Brentwood property.

Swarmers Don’t Travel Far

It is important to understand that the appearance of swarmers on the outside of your property could be a warning sign of a nest on or near your property. Why? Because swarmers don’t travel far. They swarm for less than 30 minutes, and during that time, they are focused on finding their mates. They’re not interested in traveling. So, they are more likely a sign of a current infestation, rather than an impending infestation.

Swarmers Come From Mature Nests

It can take years for a termite nest to produce winged reproductives. If you see swarmers, it is important to understand that termites may have had years to damage your property. We don’t recommend waiting to see them. It is best to take protective measures to prevent termite damage.

Swarmers Are Attracted To Light

If you walk into a room of your home and find swarmers crawling around on an interior wall or window pane during the day, you should know that it is highly unlikely that they came in from the outside. The interior of your home is dim compared to the outside. They would much rather emerge from their nest outside where there is sunshine. The appearance of swarmers on the inside of your home is a sure sign of a termite infestation. It is also a sign of a severe infestation. Brentwood termites only emerge inside when a nest is close to a home. And, the closer a nest is to your home, the more damage termites can do.

Termite Damage

The termites we have in Brentwood are subterranean termites. This type of termite costs U.S. property owners over $5 billion every year. If you see swarmers (or, hopefully, long before) take steps to protect your property from damage.

What It Could Mean When You See Termite Swarmers

Let’s take a moment to recap. If you see swarmers on the outside or inside of your Brentwood home it could mean:

• Your property has already been damaged by termites.

• You have a mature nest on or near your property.

• You’re about to have more nests on or near your property.

• It is time to take action and invest in termite protection.

Certified Termite Control

If you need assistance with termite control for your Brentwood property, remember that All-American Pest Control is a certified termite control provider. We help property owners in Brentwood guard their property investments by installing the award-winning Sentricon® System with Always Active™. Reach out to us today to learn more. Don’t wait till you see swarmers. Get your protection in place now to prevent termite damage.

Your Nashville yard is full of life. You can see the birds fluttering through the air and perching on branches. You can see squirrels scrambling up trees and chasing after each other. But there are a lot of animals you don’t see. When you flip a rock, you can find insects and invertebrates hiding underneath. When you look under your deck, you might find a spider looking back at you from its web. If you dig up soil, you could get some worms. Most of the life in your yard won’t present a threat to you or your home, but there are some that can become problematic pests. We’re going to take a quick look at a few of them, and offer some helpful tips to prevent outdoor critters from becoming indoor pests.

Nuisance Pests

These are the critters that get in and drive you crazy. We have a lot of these, but here are a few of the pests we see the most:

• Ants

• Earwigs

• Centipedes

• Millipedes

• Asian lady beetles

• Boxelder bugs

• Stink bugs

• Fruit flies

Pests That Damage Belongings

These are the critters that can put holes in the things you own. 

• Clothing moths

• Silverfish

Pests That Can Damage Your Home

• Termites

• Carpenter ants

• Powderpost beetles

Pest That Can Harm You

• Mice and rats

• Cockroaches

• Ticks

• Fleas

• Mosquitoes

• Houseflies

• Some spiders species

• Wasps

Pest Prevention

Many of the pests listed above can fit into more than one category, and there are far more pests in our Nashville service area than the few we mentioned. The goal of this quick list was to give you a reference as to what pests can be a problem, and some of the ways they might be a problem. Now, let’s take a look at a few specific ways you can manage these pests and the threats they present.

Seal Entry Points — Pests get in because they can. If you take the time and make the effort, you can naturally exclude pests by reducing potential entry points.

• Replace weatherstripping around exterior doors.

• Install or replace door sweeps.

• Seal gaps around door and window frames.

• Use a caulking gun to fill in any holes created by wood-destroying pests.

• Fix screens and broken glass panes.

• Seal gaps around foundation penetrations.

Yard Work — One of the best ways to prevent indoor pest problems is to make your exterior less inviting to pests.

• Remove leaf litter and leaf piles.

• Move woodpiles away from your exterior.

• Pick up any wood that sits on the ground.

• Remove yard clutter.  

Reduce Moisture — Water is a building block of life. It is important to not only address standing water, but to reduce damp habitats around and inside your home.

• Clean your gutters and make repairs to your gutter system.

• Remove weeds from your landscaping and trim bushes.

• Remove containers that capture rainwater.

• Fix plumbing leaks.

• Install dehumidifiers in humid spaces within your home.

Sanitation — Many pests are attracted to rotting things both outside and inside your home.

• Keep bagged trash in covered trash receptacles.

• Remove trash before smells develop.

• Clean trash receptacles to remove odors that attract pests.

• If you have a dog, be sure to pick up droppings from your yard.

Added Protection

There is no better way to stop pests from getting into your home than to invest in an effective pest control plan. If you live in Nashville, we’d love to tell you about our Perimeter Plus pest protection. It is a year-round service plan that gives you coverage for over 47 of Nashville’s most common household pests. We can also provide management of stinging and biting pests that might live in your yard and accidentally get into your home. Speak with one of our friendly agents today to learn more.