Dealing with Ants in Lake Ozark, MO Summers

Missouri is home to various species of ants, and each requires their own specific ant control procedure. These are the most common types of ants in Missouri and their effect on Lake Ozark homes:

Carpenter Ant: These ants, most identifiable by their large size and black coloring, survive by feeding on plant juices and other insects. Carpenter ants bite and spray formic acid, which can be harmful to humans if it lands on a wound or you are allergic. These ants can be found near your lakehouse in decaying wood or underneath stone, so check the area for old firewood, rotting stumps, and anything else of the like.

Field Ant: This particular species is commonly found in the surrounding exterior of mid-Missouri homes and has a reddish tan color. Field ants are not typically reported in the world of ant infestations. These colonies lay low in the grass or underneath logs and stones. When there is a field ant problem in the house, it’s because they’re mainly attracted to all the sugary foods in your kitchen.

Odorous House Ant: If something stinks of rotten coconuts inside or near your Lake Ozark, MO cabin, chances are you could be dealing with odorous house ants. This is the most common ant problem in houses across the mid-Missouri area. Odorous house ants are dark brown/black and tiny, anywhere from 1/16-inch to 1/8-inch in size. They are drawn to moisture, so it’s important to watch for these ants in boats or in the bathroom of your lakehouse.

Acrobat Ant: Acrobat ants are as tiny as 5.4 millimeters or less. They like to nest in moist areas, especially where there’s a leaky roof. You can also find acrobat ants in wood piles, stumps, and other insect nests. Similar to the odorous house ant, they can emit a rather unsavory odor.

Pavement Ant: Ranging from light brown to black in color, pavement ants are known to steal a lot of food. These ants will eat anything, dead or alive, and leave little trails of food from the kitchen for their colony. You might have guessed it from the name, but pavement ants are commonly found beneath rocks and concrete, as well as in walls and floors.

Pharaoh Ant: These miniscule, 2 millimeter ants contaminate and spread diseases to houses in the Lake Ozark, MO area. Pharaoh Ants are identified by a yellow body and a black or reddish abdomen. Pharaoh Ants in the house are harder to find because they hide themselves well. When dealing with Pharaoh Ants, an experienced ant exterminator will check your mid-Missouri home’s walls, baseboards, and other warm areas with insulation.

Store food properly: The first and simplest way to keep an ant infestation out of your Lake Ozark home is to make sure no food is left out in the open. Keep your boat snacks in airtight containers and keep the dishes clean in your mid-Missouri lakehouse. It’s also a good idea to check boxes and packages in your cabinets for holes. Steve’s Pest Control has an official guide to pantry pests here.

Trim branches & pick up wood: Ants can sneak onto your boat from any trees surrounding the Lake Ozark, MO docks. Many types of ants in Missouri also find refuge in moist, rotted wood. When summer begins and water starts splashing onto shore, take the precaution of cleaning up branches and other debris.

Prepare dock lines: Ants can enter lake boats in Missouri by climbing the dock lines. A common way to prevent this is by wrapping rags soaked in engine oil around the ropes leading to your boat. This is said to repel ants due to their distaste for the smell of engine oil; however, this is not the be-all end-all ant control for a Lake Ozark, MO home. To truly prevent an ant infestation, you should call a professional pest control service.