[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]What is the most disturbing thing you could find in your kitchen while preparing a meal for friends and family? 

A long line of ants on your kitchen countertop, on the floor, or around your infrequently emptied trash? 

The fact that you have ants in your kitchen should be a cause for concern. However, before you grab that can of insect repellant, have you thought about the possible reasons for this unwanted visit by ants and why they always seem to be in your kitchen? 

Some of these reasons may surprise you.

First, ants have more odor receptors than most insects, an exceptional sense organ that helps them perceive and find food.

“Ants are unique in the insect world because they have more than 400 odorant receptors compared to 60 to 80 in other insects like fruit flies and mosquitoes,” said Jesse Slone, a former Vanderbilt research associate in Biological Sciences.

These receptors are on 24/7 and always ‘on the lookout’ for the closest delicacy, which could serve their large colonies. So, if you are in the habit of leaving food on your kitchen counter, such as spilled juice, cookie crumbs, etc. you can rest assured that the ants will get your invitation and honor it.

Second, all ants are pretty similar in their need to forage for food and water leaving pheromone trails to come back for more as well as for others to follow, which is the basis of every infestation.

Third, ants may look the same as each other. But, in reality, there are various species of ants that enter our homes. And every single one has different characteristics that may require a different approach in controlling them.

Last, ants are social insects because they live together in colonies of hundreds to millions of different members, with different personalities, roles, and responsibilities. The ants you see in your house are only usually the scouting ants whose duty it is to find food and bring to the rest of their colony usually situated a few meters away. Usually, your attempt at pest control only stops the scouts but does nothing about the colony.

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