Even though ants are a common pest problem throughout New Jersey every spring and summer, finding these pests active in your home over the winter months can be a little confusing. Why are they there? Don’t they die when it gets cold? There are a lot of questions that come up when trying to wrap one’s head around ants in the winter so, with that in mind, our team of pest pros thought it a good idea to answer a few of the more commonly asked questions about ants in the winter.
Just because you don’t often see ants out and about during the winter months, that does not necessarily mean they’ve died off. Ants are actually cold-blooded insects which means temperature (warm or cold) affects how they function. When the temperature drops, ant activity also drops. That does not necessarily mean they are dead (although that could be the case), but rather they’ve relocated to a place where the temperatures are milder or they’ve entered a state similar to hibernation – their metabolism slows and their developments stops. Unfortunately, in searching for warmer conditions, these nuisance and potentially destructive pests may move indoors. More on this shortly.
When New Jersey temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit and stay there, ant activity will become less noticeable.
When you stop seeing ants out and about it’s not that they’ve died but rather have removed themselves to nests under the soil, beneath tree bark, or somewhere inside your home where they don’t have to worry about freezing.
Ant activity inside a house in the middle of winter is usually an indication that an ant colony has been established somewhere inside, such as an inner wall or inside a door or window frame, or someplace deep inside your home where the cold cannot penetrate.
If you’re actually seeing ants moving about your house, it could be because it’s a mild day outside. When a warm spell occurs in the middle of a New Jersey winter, it’s not uncommon to find ants on the hunt for food. Once the temps drop back down, they’ll likely disappear again.
Again, when you see ants marching about in the middle of winter, it means that you have an ant colony living inside your home and bathrooms are one of those areas that attract ants. Moisture is one reason for finding ants in your bathroom- these pests love to gather where moisture collects. The scents that emanate from drains and the products we use in bathrooms may also draw ants.
If you’re seeing ants inside your home during the winter months, there is cause for concern. Though most ants in New Jersey are considered nuisance pests and are not capable of damaging your home or its belongings, there are ants that can be destructive and those that can promote ill-health. In order to avoid damages and health issues, it’s best to keep ants out all year-round.
In order to get rid of ants and stop them from re-infesting your home, we highly recommend signing up for a year-round pest control program. Here at Arrow Pest Control, we offer home pest control services in Holmdel, Paramus, Short Hills, and Stirling as well as throughout our multi-county service that not only exterminate ants already active in and around homes but also prevents them from returning! With plans starting as low as $35/month, Arrow has a solution for every home and every budget- compare plans below.
If you're not sure which plan is best suited for your home, simply scroll down to request a free home estimate or give us a call to discuss your pest control needs!