How Dangerous is Ant Infestation to My Health!
Can ants affect my health in any way? There are, actually some health hazards that are associated with ants and here are some of them:
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Bites and Stings
- – Ants can bring you danger through their stings and bites. Any type of ant can bite simply by making use of their sharp jaws. They only bite if they feel threatened or if they feel that they need to defend territories or colonies. The real threat here is the possibility of getting an infection with their bites. Generally, the bite is not dangerous to health; however, if it is not treated well, there will be some risk of infection. It may become a pustule that will eventually leave some scar. Ants can also sting victims. This is different from their bites. One type of ant that can sting is the fire ant. They have venoms that can be injected into the victim’s skin that can cause some pain. It could be a matter of life or death especially if the victim has an allergy. Ant sting may cause red bumps which are itchy. There is a need to worry if you don’t have an adverse reaction to ant sting. Ant sting may vary from simple to worse, depending on the individual. If you are a victim of ant sting, you may experience some itchiness, redness, swelling, and pain. Others may experience worst symptoms like stomach cramps, hoarseness, nausea, chest pain, diarrhea and even swallowing or breathing difficulty.
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Contaminating Food –
- Ants may cause some inconvenience to you and your entire household aside from being an annoying pest. They may cause danger by contaminating food in your house. How? As these ants move about your house, they gather and bring bacteria that they may leave on your utensils and food. Keep them away by using the most effective ant poison to buy. Some of the bacteria that they can carry are salmonella, E. coli and shigella. Ants can greatly carry these bacteria with them as they make their way from your trash cans, to your bathroom and finally to your kitchen. They may carry Strepococcus, Costridium or Staphylococcus to your food. Some types of ants that can contaminate your food with these germs are sugar ants and pharaoh ants since these are the ants that can be found in feces. You do not need to be bitten by these types of ants in order to be a victim. You will be at risk once your food is contaminated. These ants indulge themselves in your food supply. The risk may not be that big, but you have to remember that there is still a possibility so make sure that your food is safe. The first thing to do is to avoid the risk of food contamination by placing your food in properly sealed containers. Make sure that they can’t be reached by ants. The next thing to do is to keep your floors and countertops clean and free of any crumbs after cooking and eating. Keeping your kitchen from any moisture source at the end of the day is also essential.
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Allergy
- If you have an allergy to insects like ants, you are at risk. Allergic reactions may come in hives, nausea, throat swelling, dizziness, breathing difficulty and stomach cramps. The worst-case scenario would be having anaphylaxis. This is a condition that occurs in just a few minutes that you will be bitten and it may include dizziness, low blood pressure or unconsciousness. If you think you are experiencing some of these symptoms after being bitten or stung by ants, get medical help.
How to Determine If It Is Ant Infestation
The sight of ants in your home does not mean an infestation right away. Watch out for these signs once you learn that you have ant-invasion.
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The Sight of Live Ants
- Remember that seeing live ants is not really an indicator of infestation, but if you notice that there are a greater number of live ants indoor then you probably have ant-infestation. If there are an alarming number of ants in your house, there is surely a bigger colony of a nest nearby. Ants always come for food so you can assume that these ants are on the lookout for food that they can bring back to their colony nearby.
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Pet’s Bowl Have Ants Overrun
- Ants are not choosy when it comes to the source of their food, so they will be interested in your pet’s bowls as much as they would be interested in your kitchen food. Once you see that your pet’s bowl is infested, this may mean that they have already invaded your home. To keep these ants away from your home keep your pet’s feeding places clean and also dry.
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A Line-Up of Live Ants
- A line-up of marching ants in your house is a serious indication of ant infestation. Marching ants is the outcome of pheromone trails that they usually lay down once they discover a source of food.
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Ant Nest or Ant Pile
- Ant nest or ant piles is a sign that you have an ant infestation problem. You can expect that these ants are now making their quiet way into your home searching for food. Ant piles may have a big number of ants and they can cause a serious problem if they are located at the side of your home. Get rid of them by using the most effective ant poison to buy.
Keeping Ants Away From Your House
One of the most important things to do is to keep the inside and outside of your house clean. Food crumbs and scraps are attractive to scouting ants so make sure that you sweep, vacuum and dry all surfaces in the kitchen. Put everything in sealed containers. Ants can smell food and they can surely track it if they smell it. Check for any cracks that the ants may be using to get inside your home. Get rid of the pheromone trails with vinegar and water mixture.