Have you ever called the exterminators to deal with an ant problem, only to find the ants coming back a few weeks later? You certainly aren't alone, and that may be one of the reasons professional pest control for ants is an increasing industry. According to Onedesk, through 2027, the ant control market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of almost 25%. Homeowners will start to realize they need professional exterminators to eradicate ants once and for all. Here are nine of the most common ant myths that exterminators don't want you to fall for, so you can tackle your ant problem once and for all.

1. Ants Are Only a Nuisance

One of the biggest myths out there is that ants are merely a nuisance rather than a cause for concern. But ants aren't just a nuisance, they can do serious damage to your home. If you let an invasion go unchecked, ants can destroy insulation, wood, and other structural components of your house. This damage could add up to thousands of dollars if left untreated. Don't ignore ants just because they seem tiny and harmless. Their sheer numbers enable them to inflict costly destruction. Call the exterminators at the first sign of ants, so you can stop them before real damage is done.

2. Using Bug Spray Kills All the Ants

It's tempting to think you can run to the drugstore, pick up a can of bug spray, and be done with your ant problem. But simply spraying store-bought chemicals likely won't work. Ants are resilient and often move their colonies instead of dying off. Bug spray also doesn't do anything about the trails ants leave behind using pheromones. New ants just follow these trails right back into your home again! For severe infestations inside the home, spraying chemicals probably won’t work at all, since ants may just move deeper into walls. Leave complete elimination to the professional exterminators. They have commercial-grade insecticides and expertise in tracking down ant nests. This ensures no ants survive or return once treated.

3. Sealing Food Eliminates Ants

Initially, you should seal open food that attracts ants. But just hiding your food is not an effective long-term solution. Ants don't need open food sources once they invade your home. Ants prefer dark enclosed spaces like walls for nesting. So even if you remove all food sources, ants can happily live and breed inside voids and cracks out of sight. Leaving them there allows colonies to grow and spread without you noticing. Since ants don't need food to thrive once inside, sealing food does nothing about current infestations. Depending on ant species and colonies already established, eliminating ants requires insecticide treatment from exterminators.

4. Natural Repellents Work Well

Searching Pinterest may convince you some home remedies like vinegar, cinnamon, coffee grounds, or essential oils will make ants flee your house. Unfortunately, DIY natural solutions typically don't work well despite creative claims you may read online. At best, home remedies temporarily repel ants, they quickly return or move to another inaccessible spot out of sight. Natural solutions also don't kill ants already nesting inside your home or eliminate ant pheromone trails. That being said, other ants keep following chemical trails into your house. Leave the handling to qualified exterminators who know how to truly eliminate and prevent ants. They won't waste your time and money on home remedy myths that don't work.

5. One Ant Is No Big Deal

When you spot that first lone ant trailing through your kitchen, it's understandable if you feel skeptical about calling exterminators just yet. Seeing one ant might seem no big deal. But a single indoor ant means many more are likely hiding and nesting out of sight. Ants work as community colonies with specialized roles. When you see random forager ants trailing indoors, that means a mature colony already established on your property that's sending out workers. Where there's one ant visibly roaming, there could be hundreds to thousands nesting behind walls or crawl spaces out of sight. So don't wait until ants are swarming everywhere before you call for professional help. Getting exterminators to locate and eliminate colonies early prevents major headaches later.

6. Carpenter Ants Only Attack Wood

As their name implies, carpenter ants burrow into wood to nest. But they will also nest in many places besides just wood. Carpenter ants often move into hollow voids in walls, insulation, flooring and anywhere else they can access. The key requirement is a cavity — carpenter ants don't eat wood like termites. So carpenter ant damage goes beyond just wood frames and beams in your home. They can compromise insulation and other structural materials once inside walls or floor voids. If you have carpenter ants, trained exterminators inspect all potential nesting sites beyond just wood. This ensures no colonies go overlooked, allowing ants to thrive out of sight.

7. Ant Bait Traps Draw Ants Inside

It seems logical that placing ant baits or traps around your home would draw ants in for elimination. But actually, using traditional baits too close to your home can make problems worse! Ant trails lead colony members to food sources and back to the nest location, communicating the location and quantity of food available. This is why our team uses insecticide baits. These baits allow ants to carry the insecticide back to their colony, stopping the problem at the source. Once the insecticide baits are set, it may take a few days to work completely. These baits are great for eliminating the problem for good.

8. Sugar and Grease Kill Ants

You may think leaving out piles of sugar or dumping grease on ant trails will kill them off. However, sugar and grease won’t control ant problems, so these home remedies are ineffective. Ants easily avoid substances they know could stick to them and prove lethal. Plus, killing off a few ants doesn’t do anything about the rest of the colony already nesting in your home. Rely on exterminator expertise and commercial-grade insecticide if you want ants truly gone.

9. Sealing Entry Points Prevents Ants

Of course, you want to seal any cracks and crevices providing ants easy access into your home. But sealing entry points alone can only do so much for prevention. Tiny entry holes we cannot detect or properly seal allow many ant species to invade our homes constantly. Even with diligent sealing efforts, ants may still find ways to march their way inside undetected. Your best bet is to have exterminators tackle the problem properly if you suspect you have an ant issue. They have the tools and commercial products for thorough elimination and prevention.

Steer clear of myths and always call the exterminators at the first signs of ants before infestations grow out of control. Their expert treatments eliminate colonies properly at the source. Use these tips so you aren't fooled by ant myths spread by exterminators and waste money on fixes that don't work! Outsmart ants once and for all. If you notice an infestation in your home, or you want to help prevent one, turn to us. Contact Mares Exterminating today to obtain a free consultation to treat your home for ants and other types of pests.