Feasterville exterminators frequently are called to residences and commercial buildings that are dealing with a frustrating ant infestation. Most of these ants are tiny and black or brown, but every once in a while, someone comes across a more interesting species.
In fact, home and business owners tend to sound a little more alarmed when they call a pest management company to report an invasion by yellow ants. They wonder if it is an exotic species that delivers painful stings or transmits diseases.
In reality, it is the relatively innocuous citronella ant. While this ordinary pest may not give people painful wounds or make them seriously ill, it remains a major concern for property owners.
This is because, like many other ant species in the area, citronella ants are responsible for some of the most stubborn pest control problems.
Anyone who has ever seen a line of ants in a kitchen or bathroom has at least considered dealing with the problem by using a bug spray. Unfortunately, this is a treatment method that is doomed to fail.
Ant sprays may be able to destroy individual members, but a colony consists of tens of thousands of ants. There just is not enough bug spray in the can to take care of the problem.
That is why exterminators take a more wholesale approach by employing poison baits. These chemicals are carried back to the heart of the colony where the queen lives. By destroying her and her young, the pest management professional is able to truly stop citronella ants.
WHAT DO CITRONELLA ANTS LOOK LIKE?
Like most insects, citronella ants have six legs and a pair of antennae. Most ants in the local area are black or brown, but these have a distinctive yellow coloration. Along with this unusual hue, these ants give off a citrus-like smell, especially after being crushed. Workers, which are the most visible members of the colony, average about four millimeters, and it is common for the queen to be approximately twice this size, though she rarely leaves the nest.
WHERE DO CITRONELLA ANTS LIVE?
Spending most of their life cycle underground, citronella ants have few adaptations that make them fit for living outdoors. Their bodies require specific humidity levels that are relatively easy to find in enclosed underground spaces. However, in the open air, these humidity levels disappear. Citronella ants may be able to survive for a while in these conditions, but they need to find optimum humidity levels to continue their existence over the long haul.
Living underground in fields or forests is ideal for citronella ant colonies, but they do not always restrict their activities to these areas. Citronella ants may use a lawn or garden as a nesting site. If a man-made structure is nearby, chances are very good that the pests soon will be coming indoors in search of food.
Citronella ants further are known to build nests inside buildings. In fact, there are many places in man-made structures that offer just the right combination of shelter, warmth and humidity. Soffits, wall voids, the space beneath a kitchen or bathroom floor, a door frame and many other areas are possible nesting sites.
WHAT DO CITRONELLA ANTS EAT?
Citronella ants have different dietary needs than other ant species. This means that they are not as likely to be found in kitchens, dining rooms or cafeterias.
Members of this species feed almost exclusively on honeydew, a sugary sweet substance that is excreted by many insects that dine on the roots of plants. Accordingly, citronella ants spend most of their time underground where it is easier to find this food.
Obtaining honeydew from insects like mealybugs and aphids is easy in the summer, but when the weather turns more fall-like, these bugs become scarce. Suddenly, it is not so easy for the citronella ant to get the food it needs. This is when these pests are most likely to come indoors, looking not only for a warm place to nest but also a source of sugar. Any food in residences or commercial buildings that contains sugar will be vulnerable to contamination by citronella ants.
DAMAGE CAUSED BY CITRONELLA ANTS
Considered a nuisance by most exterminators, it is unusual for citronella ant colonies to cause considerable property damage. Instead, they have a tendency to take existing damage and make it worse.
For example, a building that once hosted a termite infestation or suffered a water leak may have hidden damage that has never been repaired. Citronella ants are adept at finding wood or other construction materials that are even slightly damaged. These conditions are ideal for nesting, and it is common for the colony to exacerbate this damage, possibly making it more difficult and expensive to repair.
ARE CITRONELLA ANTS AGGRESSIVE?
Scientists frequently refer to citronella ants as a cryptic species. This means that the insects spend most of their time underground. Accordingly, opportunities for people and citronella ants to interact typically are unusual.
That changes when a colony makes its home inside or adjacent to a building. Suddenly, people are seeing citronella ants on a daily basis. Even more alarming is the sheer number of the pests. There are so many, that it can seem like the colony has an endless supply of determined workers.
In this sense, and because the ants will not leave unless they are forcefully evicted, citronella ants are an aggressive species.
DO CITRONELLA ANTS CARRY DISEASE?
Food poisoning and ant infestations in Feasterville go hand-in-hand, and citronella ant infestations are not exempt from this phenomenon. When the supply of honeydew begins running short in the late summer, citronella ant workers turn their efforts indoors. This means that they will infest fruit, baked goods, condiments, desserts, juice and many other sweet items that people might keep in kitchens and elsewhere. All of these items are now contaminated with bacteria and other toxins and must be thrown in the garbage.
Citronella ants also come with an additional warning. The chemical that produces the citrus-like scent that they emit can cause an allergic reaction in some people. Typically not serious, most people recover quickly from such a reaction.
HOW TO DETECT CITRONELLA ANTS
Signs of a citronella ant presence include:
• Seeing light yellow ants • Smelling an unusual citrus or lemon scent • The presence of mounds of dirt in the yard or landscaping • Swarming yellow ants during the summer
HOW TO PREVENT CITRONELLA ANTS
To help prevent citronella ant problems the following steps should be taken:
• Replace wood and other materials on the premises that are rotting or damaged • Refrain from storing food on tables or countertops • Store food in pest-proof containers • Keep doors and windows closed or ensure that they have screens • Ensure that doors and windows are weather tight • Keep foundations in good repair • Fix water leaks and all resulting damage when they first appear
HOW WE TREAT FOR ANTS
Ants are the number one pest control issue and can prove virtually impossible for home and business owners to solve on their own. Ending an ant infestation typically requires proper ant identification, locating and destroying the nest or colony, as well as the use and application of specialized products.
As such, it is not advisable for property owners to attempt to eradicate an ant infestation without assistance from a professional pest control provider.
