Homeowners should take action if ants are found on the property, as even just a few of them could mean much more in the near future.
Since they communicate exceedingly well, they can migrate whenever need be in order to grow their colony. Additionally, they are quite resilient. While smashing or spraying ants may be tempting, it is rare that the entire colony is seen at once. The ants will keep coming back as they are guided towards food by pheromones.
Smaller ant problems may be solved with baiting, but only if the right techniques are applied. It is important to be careful when choosing ant bait products. The propensity of ants to be drawn towards a particular bait depends on the time of year, and they may ignore the bait completely if it does not have the food sources needed at the time.
Alternatively, acquiring the services of a local Bensalem pest control provider is a proven method for eliminating ant infestations. Licensed exterminators offer free inspections to identify the type of ant infesting the home. After gaining knowledge of the specific issue, they implement a customized treatment plan meant to get rid of all ants in the house. If DIY methods are failing, then pest control is the only way to get rid of these nuisance insects.
WHAT DO ANTS LOOK LIKE?
Acrobat ants have shiny bodies that usually are either black or brown. Prickly hairs adorn their heads. When members of the species believe they are under attack, they raise their abdomens over the heads. Average lengths for full grown adults are between two and three millimeters.
Measuring approximately one-and-a-half millimeters in length, black ants also have shiny bodies. As they are divided into 12 segments, the black ant has complicated antennae.
Black, brown or multicolored, carpenter ants are unusually large at approximately 12 millimeters. The rarely seen queen can be as long as 20 millimeters.
When citronella ants are crushed, they emit a smell that is reminiscent of citrus. Easy to identify thanks to their yellow coloring, the citronella ant may reach four millimeters long. Large populations of these pests in a single building may cause a pervasive odor of lemon verbena.
Odorous ants are smelly too, but their scent is more like rotting coconut. Other than this characteristic, odorous ants look much like other species in the area as their coloring is black, and most adults are between two and three millimeters long.
Living on driveways, patios and sidewalks, pavement ants may be easiest to identify by their habitat. Their heads and thoraxes have ridges, and brown and black are the most common colors.
WHERE DO ANTS LIVE?
Ants live in large groups called colonies. An average ant colony can contain up to 500,000 worker ants in addition to hundreds of flying insects and queens. Because of these dense colonies, they are quite a difficult pest to control alone.
The specific areas of a home where ants choose to invade depend on the species of ant and their behavior. A recent survey from the National Pest Management Association found that kitchens and bathrooms tend to be the spaces most vulnerable to ants.
WHAT DO ANTS EAT?
Ants are omnivores that scavenge and hunt for their food. They can generally consume anything available to them. The most common food that ants will go after is sugar, which is why they are such a nuisance in homes. It only takes one ant to leave a pheromone trail and signal to the colony that there is a food source nearby.
Ants living outside will find protein by infamously eating live or dead animals. They will also feed on honeydew when it’s available. Of course, remnants of human foods are always an option as well. The chemosenses of an ant will detect the slightest trace of nutrients as long as there are either sugars, fats, or proteins.
Once ants have invaded your home, they will begin finding substitutes for the proteins and carbohydrates that they were able to find outside. This usually results in ants making their way into your kitchen, where little bits of crumbs are in abundance. If they end up finding a poorly sealed trash can, they can contaminate the area and spread disease.
These pests are often underestimated because they are so small, but that is precisely what makes it easy for them to reach seemingly inaccessible foods and the tiniest corners of a home. This is why professional exterminators remain diligent when inspecting for ant problems.
DAMAGE CAUSED BY ANTS
Most ants prefer to take advantage of existing deterioration when building nests, but carpenter ants are the exception.
Carpenter ants cause damage to commercial and residential buildings by boring through wood and creating unsightly tunnels, eventually causing structures to become unsupportive and even fail. They will burrow into door frames, walls, and any wood beams that happen to be inside a home structure.
Outdoor properties, such as lawns and gardens, can also experience a large number of soil chambers on their surface. These chambers, resulting from ant hills and nesting, cause soil to become soft and uneven. If crops are present then serious issues can arise.
ARE ANTS AGGRESSIVE?
Ants do not necessarily seek out opportunities to attack people, but their behavior and numbers do make them appear to be relentless. An infestation will continue until it is forcibly stopped with the use of specialized products and through sealing up the entrances that the pests are using.
DO ANTS CARRY DISEASE?
Unlike mosquitoes or rodents, ants do not carry diseases themselves. However, they still track bacteria and fungi that can cause several food-borne illnesses.
Ants will search any and every crevice of the home in search of food and water. This includes areas ridden with bacteria, such as the toilet or trash can. As they migrate between areas of the home, they cross-contaminate. Because of ant infestations, the bacteria from toilets is transferred to bedrooms and kitchens.
If ants reach the kitchen or pantry, contamination can occur instantaneously. Food that has touched ants should not be eaten because of this health risk, and the same goes for utensils and plates left outside.
HOW TO DETECT ANTS
Signs of an ant infestation include:
• Trails of sawdust around flooring and window ledges, which may indicate carpenter ants • Visible ant nests or mounds in outdoor areas such as gardens or lawns, • Small swarms of ants gathering around a food source or trailing toward a destination • Rustling sounds near wooden beams or inside walls
HOW TO PREVENT ANTS
To help prevent ant issues the following steps should be taken:
• Eliminate food sources by disposing of unused food and securely storing leftovers • Keep a clean kitchen • Avoid leaving dirty dishes in the sink and crumbs nearby. • Remove dead tree limbs or those nearest to your home, as these will attract carpenter ants • Avoid leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight • Plug any gaps the ants are using with caulk to prevent them from gaining entry • Store firewood in an outdoor area, such as a shed or garage, to keep carpenter ants from coming in
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.
