Ants in my A/C
Summer in Texas means two things, it’s going to get HOT and Fire Ants are back. With summer coming your AC unit is going to get a good workout. However, before you crank the air conditioner for the first time, you need to make sure it is not only functioning properly but that no unexpected guests are living inside of the HVAC unit. Ants can call these areas home during the fall and winter months, resulting in an infestation. Now, there are ways you can prevent this from happening on your own, so you can avoid this sort of problem. Of course, it is also a good idea to contact us at Cogburn’s to perform an annual inspection. (Request more info here.) This way, we can fine-tune the HVAC system and also identify potential problems with ants, before they crawl throughout the ventilation systems and wreck havoc on the home.
For starters, remove any sort of food or standing water sources around the air conditioner. These are going to attract ants and other pests to your AC. Plus, as the HVAC unit is going to look like a potential place to call home, all of this is great for small animals and insects but bad news for you.
If you do notice any fire ants on and around the AC unit treat the mound with a fire ant killer such as Amdro. As anyone who has every dealt with fire ants will tell you, you want to stay away from the mound until after the colony has been eliminated.
With the current trail of ants gone you want to clean the outside of your AC unit gently with soap and water. Ants often follow scent trails, so by scrubbing this area down you can remove this scent. You don’t want to directly pour the soap into the unit as this can cause problems while it runs (not to mention maybe send soap bubbles through your AC and out the vents in your home). Instead, just use a spray bottle in order to coat the AC unit before cleaning it up.
While it might smell good to you, spearmint and peppermint oils are not desirable to ants. So, spread these essential oils around the AC unit, it is going to prevent the ants from turning your HVAC unit into a home. It is amazing what this little bit of natural ant repellant can do.
Worst comes to worst, if you notice ants, give Cogburn’s a call at 1-866-523-8762 and we can come out to assist!
By following these suggestions, you should not have any kind of problem ridding your home and preventing any sort of fire ant infestation inside of the HVAC unit. Should you locate such a buildup of ants, or if it has been a year, you should contact Cogburn’s so we can come out, make sure everything is working as efficiently as possible, and rid the unit of ants or any other live-in pests that may cause you problems with your air conditioning this summer.
Call Cogburn’s Heating and Air Conditioning toll free today at 1-866-523-8762. Be sure to ask about our exclusive Club Membership Program.
Request more info here.
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