How Ants Get Into Homes in the South Carolina Midlands

Have you noticed that ants are small? Some ants are really small. At less than an ⅛ of an inch, it isn't difficult for them to find an entry point into most homes. So you shouldn't be surprised to find ants getting into your South Carolina home, especially here in the Midlands where ants are the number-one pest control concern for homeowners. Let's take a look at some of the ways ants get in.

The Sole Plate

Are you familiar with what a sole plate is? When it comes to keeping pests out of your home, this is a feature of your home you should be aware of. Sole plates, also called sills, are horizontal wood members that are attached to the top of your basement wall or foundation. These horizontal wood members are what your vertical wood studs are attached to. Almost every home has sole plates. If yours are close to the soil, you could have trouble with wood-damaging pests like carpenter ants, rodents, termites, etc. And the holes created by these pests will become superhighways for tiny, little ants that don't damage wood. Usually, damage to the sole plates of a home begin with elevated moisture levels caused by obstructed or broken gutters. When dampness is allowed to continue, wood rot and pest damage are likely to occur--if you don't have residential pest control service for your home.

Doors

When an ant climbs around near one of your exterior doors, it may be easy for them to find an entry point. They can slip under your door and get past a damaged door sweep. They can explore the rubber weatherstripping and find a gap that is big enough to get past. They can get in through gaps around your door frame or broken spots in silicon caulk that has been used to seal gaps around your frames. If a rodent has chewed on your door frame, ants can go right in through the hole created and gain access to your door frame voids and, eventually, the wall voids of your home.

Pipe Gaps

When pipes are repaired or installed into a home during a renovation project, a gap can be left around the pipes. Ants will quickly take advantage of gaps like this. They'll also exploit gaps that form around pipes over time. It is good practice to examine pipes that pass through your foundation wall and seal any gaps you see.

Power Boxes

Some ants are drawn to electricity. They'll get on car and truck engines and they'll climb into power boxes. When they get into a power box on the side of your home and find a gap around some wires or conduit that go into your exterior wall, they're going to follow that conduit or those wires. This will bring them right into your wall voids, where they can gain access to most of your home.

Windows

Ants can get into your home by way of your windows in the same way they get in through your doors, by entering through tiny gaps on the outside of your frames. They'll also take advantage of tiny holes in your screens and get in through your windows when you open them.

How Ants Get Out of Homes

Okay. Now that we've covered many of the ways ants get into homes in the Midlands, let's talk about the best way to get them out.

Every home is a little different and there are many ant species. If we were to explain all of the ways that work to get ants out of homes, this article would be the length of a book. Even if we wrote it, we're pretty sure you wouldn't read it. So we highly recommend calling the bugman—but not just any bugman. Call the Orginal Bugman.

From our humble beginnings in 1983, our family-owned business has provided the highest level of pest control and service. Now, we service thousands of homes and businesses throughout South Carolina with industry-leading pest control. While we are no longer just one bugman, our drive for excellence has not changed. We employ a team of licensed and certified bugmen who can help you solve your ant problems. Reach out to The Original Bugman Pest Elimination, Inc. today and request a free, no-obligation inspection to get started. The smart idea is to call the Bugman.