Why Do I See Ants Inside After It Rains?

Did you know that ants are more active on a sunny day right after heavy rains? This is caused by their primary food source getting washed away by the rain. After the rains this weekend we have already taken quite a few calls this morning from local NRV residents experiencing ants inside their homes.

In the Spring and Summer months the natural food source for Ants is a clear, sweet liquid called Honeydew that is excreted by Aphids. Heavy rains tend to wash away the Aphids and their honeydew, leaving ants without a food source, so they start foraging along pheromone trails in search of alternate food sources. This often leads to scout ants foraging inside your home searching for sugar based crumbs or spill residues.

Ants are pretty ingenious for being so small and are known to farm and herd aphids much like we raise livestock animals for similar purposes. They even protect them from other natural predators, but rain is one thing they can not protect Aphids from.

Why Do You Have Aphids? Well, due to the natural vegetation of Southwestern Virginia, we have many native flowering plants that attract Aphids. Additionally, many residents throughout communities such as Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Radford thoroughly enjoy gardening, especially planting and tending to blooming flower garden beds full of beautiful flowers. Unfortunately, the Aphids also love a beautiful flower garden too!

The good news is that New River Pest Control LLC has the experience, knowledge and time tested solutions to resolve your ant issues.

**Note** Be careful with over the counter Ant sprays, most of them are great for a contact kill, but are repellent products that usually cause those foraging trails to divert their path and you just end up spreading the colony to new areas.