Whether you are dealing with tiny sugary ants or aggressive carpenter ants, having ants in your home is never a good time.

Have you ever wondered how these creatures could impact your health?

While it is true that ants do not spread diseases like other pests, but they can transport some food-borne illnesses.

Ants and Cross Contamination

Ants are creepy crawlers that live in filth, and as they crawl and live in areas infested with germs and bacteria, it isn’t a shocker that these creatures can easily contaminate other surfaces. For instance, an ant rummaging for food might crawl through dirt in the sewage lines and might then land on your dining table, thereby carrying a ton of bacteria. A species of ants known as Pharaoh ants hold the reputation of transmitting pathogens such as clostridium, salmonella. streptococcus, etc. Therefore, it is vital to constantly examine your house for ants, and keep your surroundings clean. 

Ants and Food-Borne Illnesses go hand in hand

Let’s put it this way, where the are ants, cross-contamination thrives, and therefore, food-borne illnesses should be no surprise. That’s right, as ants rummage through filthy areas in search of food and water, they can bring about an indefinite number of bacteria and fungi in your household. These bacteria when coming in contact with your food or around your dining area can easily cause food-borne diseases. To name a few, E. coli, Shigella, Clostridium, salmonella are common.

The Risks of Bites

Typically, ant bites and stings aren’t very harmful and many merely get away with a reddish-pink nip. However, things may take a scary turn when these bites and stings are associated with allergic reactions and hypersensitivity to ant venoms. Such incidents may trigger some serious life-threatening conditions such as chest pain, difficulty in breathing, swelling, shock, and anaphylaxis. Fire Ants are one of the most notorious ones when it comes to stinging humans.

Tips to make your home less hospitable to ants:

• Seal the Meal: Don’t leave any food items open, unattended. If you have a pet, ensure their food bowl is washed regularly.
• Avoid leaving dishes in the sink overnight.
• Clean the house and the yard religiously, leaving no stone unturned (literally), since ants can build colonies under stones as well.
• Treat leaky taps without any delays.
• Seal cracks and crevices with Caulking.
• Spray insecticide at the perimeters of your house.
• Use strong-smelling essential oils such as eucalyptus oil and peppermint oil to chase them away.

Wrapping Up

While the risk of getting health issues from ants is overall low, it is vital to protect your home from these pests. Eliminate the ants inside your home through pest control services. You can get rid of ants by discouraging them from coming to your home.

Are spiders your roommates? Well! You are not the only one. 

These 8-leged creepy-crawlies are found in abundance across the globe. With 3000 different species of spiders in the United States alone, every second house has spiders as their roomies. 

Sounds scary?

But, did you know that the natural habitat of spiders is outdoors? Yes, let the truth be told.

Spiders mostly thrive in lawns and backyards. They do not sneak into your home on purpose. They get in accidentally through the open gaps or tiny cracks in your home. Now that we know the how, it is time to understand the why.

Why do they get in? What attracts them to your house?

Let’s find out.

What Attracts Spiders?

Spiders seek shelter in your home for some specific reasons. If you see spiders in your home, you must figure out the reason too. Let’s take a look at the main reasons that draw spiders to your property:

1. Easy access: Even the minute gap or crack in the wall is an invitation to spiders and other pests as it gives them easy access to invade your property. Sometimes, spiders also crawl in through the holes created by other pests. 
2. Warmth: Spiders are fragile. They cannot stand extreme weather conditions and always search for humid places. The smallest change in the weather can bring them to your warm home, where they seek refuge. 
3. Privacy: Spiders are loners. They love the privacy and therefore prefer hard-to-reach and dark places like the attic, room corners, and under the furniture. Moreover, these spots are an ideal setting for spiders to creating their hunting web
4. Garden: The most common reason that attracts pests, including spiders, is the garden in your yard. Spiders love the outdoors and feed on insects. Even though they will remove other harmful insects, which is good, but a garden can often invite some poisonous species of spiders like the brown recluse or the black widow.
5. Nourishment: Spiders always hunt for food. They feed on any and every type of insect, such as mosquitoes, moths, flies, etc. They are attracted to a home that provides the right food source. So, if there are various insect pests in your house, a spider invasion is guaranteed. 

Prevention Tips

Now that you know what encourages spiders to enter your home, let’s learn some tips to spider-proof your home and keep them away.

• Trim the bushes, trees, and shrubs in your garden
• Sweep, vacuum, and clean all corners, ceilings, and undisturbed places of your home regularly.
• Seal up holes, cracks, and gaps in and around your home.
• Use stripping around doors and windows to prevent the entry of spiders.
• Remove the clutter from basements and garages where spiders usually hide.
• Stack firewood off-ground and at a distance of least 20 feet away from your home.

Wrapping Up

Eradicating spiders from your home can become a difficult task, as they can hide away in places beyond human reach and visibility. To avoid this hassle, hire a professional spider exterminator to detect all the entry points, hiding spots and eliminate them before the spider infestations get out of control.