In the summer we enjoy nice weather, longer days, beautiful flowers and sometimes things that are not so nice, like moisture. This is the time of the year when moisture and humidity attract insects. Improperly treated crawl spaces packed with moisture can attract ants which are big problem in Virginia. Ants are pesky nuisances. They are not welcome outside the home and are even more unwelcome when found inside. Ants are social insects. They live in colonies and after nesting so nicely in the crawl space of your home they can easily find access to the inside of your house. Invading your home in search of food, water and shelter, they can speed up the deterioration process of your homes’ wooden structures as they tunnel in to the wood, expanding their colony. That is why disposing of them quickly from your crawl space is so important. But you can’t do this overnight. Effective ant and moisture management is a combination of periodic inspections, sanitation, use of insecticides and most important habitat modification.
This Is Where Professionals Come To The Rescue
If we find that you have a serious infestation of ants, then it is more than likely that you are dealing with bigger problems than ants. It is very important to destroy colonies that are nesting in or around your home. But there is an upside to seeing ants! They may alert you to a bigger problem, moisture. The ant attack won’t be permanently fixed until all of the crawl space moisture is remediated. This is where pest control professionals come in handy, to rid your home of these water loving pests and remediate moisture to prevent their return. If the structure of your home is not yet rotted, then the solution to the problem is moisture remediation which means having the crawl space dried and properly sealed. The most important thing to know is that taking action before damage occurs can save you a lot of money.
Crawl spaces are typically damp places. While most of the time a damp crawl space is the result of a foundation leakage problem or improper leveling of the ground under your house, it may also simply be caused by high humidity levels. The most reliable solution is to stop the way water and moisture can enter your crawl space. This is where the professionals come to the rescue. Our company can remediate the moisture and find the best solution to keep your crawl space dry. This will leave a lot less opportunity for mold, mildew and insects to thrive. The air quality of the upper levels of your home, which depends on the humidity of the crawl space, will improve because much of the air you breathe comes from the crawl space. Also, we can promote good health in your crawl space which relies on the actual moisture content. This can be measured and stabilized in the desirable range of moisture for wood, which is from 12% to 15%. When the wood moisture content goes above 15% the wood begins to deteriorate and when it goes above 20% it begins to rot. This is also a sign that the moisture levels in your crawl space is attracting insects. Remember to be aware of what is going on in the spaces of your home that you don’t always think about or see.