| Battling Guam’s #1 Pest:
“Ants are more of a nuisance than a health problem,” says Scott Hagen of Pacific Pest Control. “They’re in your house because they are looking for food, for a place to stay, looking for dry cover…looking for a place to nest, so if you can create ways to keep them out – eliminate food or conditions that bring them in…then you have no problem…and I think the key is not to eliminate them, but find a way to live with them.” “If you have an ant problem inside your house, the solution is to keep it as clean as possible. Especially if you have kids, get rid of food. Don’t let them snack in the rooms. If they do, then clean out candy wrappers or containers. On counter tops, don’t leave food out too long,” says Hagen. On the outside of the house, if you have dogs or pets, clean up their food or get rid of it once your pet’s finished eating. If you have lots of clutter around your house like coconuts, plywood, shutters…these kinds of things create conditions that ants like. If you eliminate clutter, then you eliminate the nesting areas. Hagen explains that some ants are feeding, so on some days they’re really hungry and since they’ve been starving they’re going to search for some food. He says there’s about a dozen different types of ants on Guam and each one has its own characteristics and food preferences. But no matter what the species, there’s nothing in particular that distinguishes the time of year ants come around or even what kind you’re more likely to find in your home. “I’ve seen red ants in houses eating fried chicken…you’ll find them everywhere.” NOW LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT EIGHT COMMON AREAS WHERE ANTS CAN BE FOUND ON THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOME.
SCOTT SAYS THAT ANTS ARE THE NUMBER ONE PEST THAT HOMEOWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT – WITH THE KITCHEN BEING THEIR MAIN TARGET. AND WHERE THERE’S ONE…IF YOU FAIL TO MAINTAIN CLEAN COUNTERTOPS, SINKS AND PRACTICE PROPER FOOD STORAGE….THE REST WILL UNDOUBTEDLY COME MARCHING IN. “One of the best ways to keep ants out of your kitchen is by sanitation and exclusion. Exclusion is self explanatory – exclude them from your kitchen. Do a pesticide barrier around doorways or windows or just keeping that clean. The next one is sanitation. Keeping doorways free of clutter or any type of food and debris.” From the coffee pot to the stove where grease build up and crumbs are normally found, these are definite hot spots for ants. Now if you’re hesitant to use pesticides or bail to kill ants, there are other ways to get the job done with household cleaning agents. “You can use bleach and water…mix it right…even soap and water…for those who are sensitive and paranoid about pesticides simple dish detergent and water will get rid of the problem. A lot of what you’re doing is cleaning surface and removing any scent ant leaves behind…they leave a pheromone trail so when they need to get back to their nest they just sniff the trail and go right back to nest but part of what you’re doing is erasing that pheromone.” Keep in mind however, that ants are also known as nature’s cleaners and for breaking up soil…so Scott says that while some homeowners may want to get rid of ants completely…it’s actually okay to let them be, especially if they’re just doing their thing away from the interior of the home.
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