While it may seem misleading given their small size, ants are Greater Philadelphia’s top nuisance pest. 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 needed 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. Ants in hiding will keep coming back, 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 doesn’t have the food sources needed at the time.
Acquiring pest control services from a qualified professional is a proven method for eliminating ant infestations. Licensed exterminators typically 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.
Ants vary in size up to an inch and can be brown, black, red, or yellow. They have a generally narrow body shape consisting of three parts: the head, thorax, and abdomen. Their appearance often leads to confusion with termites, although they are more related to wasps.
An ant colony consists of the queen, female workers, and males, each with differing appearances. Worker ants, the most numerous in a colony, are smaller and generally have more prominent mandibles for foraging and nest maintenance.
The queen and male ants possess wings, setting them apart from the wingless worker ants. The queen will always be larger in size and will shed her wings once she starts laying eggs.
Exterminating the queen is an important step when getting rid of ants. When the queen ant dies, the colony will no longer be able to reproduce and will consequently die off in a couple of months.
Some ant species are harmless to humans, while others will bite or sting to protect themselves. This makes proper species identification a necessary part of any professional ant control service.
Fire ants are the most aggressive and will attack with a venomous sting that feels like a burning sensation. Fortunately, they tend to be more prevalent in the southern United States.
Most other ants are nonvenomous, but they can still pack a punch depending on the size of their pinchers. The half-inch-long carpenter ant can have a formidable bite, causing pain lasting for several minutes and swelling thereafter.
Ants are extremely adaptable insects, present on every landmass except Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, and some island nations.
They may build their nests near decaying wood or under topsoil and leaf piles.
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 can be difficult 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 most vulnerable spaces.
Ants are omnivores that scavenge and hunt for food. The most common food that attracts ants 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 eating live or dead animals. They will also feed on honeydew when it’s available. Remnants of human foods are always an option as well. Their chemosenses detect even the slightest traces of sugars, fats, or proteins.
Once ants invade your home, they will seek substitutes for the proteins and carbohydrates that sustained them outside. This usually results in ants making their way into kitchens, where crumbs are in abundance.
Most ants take advantage of existing deterioration when building nests, but carpenter ants are the exception.
Carpenter ants cause damage to buildings by boring through wood and creating unsightly tunnels, eventually weakening structures. They burrow into door frames, walls, and wood beams inside a home.
Outdoor properties, such as lawns and gardens, can also experience soil chambers on their surface. These chambers, caused by ant hills and nesting, can make soil soft and uneven, potentially harming crops or plants.
Unlike mosquitoes or rodents, ants do not carry diseases themselves. However, they track bacteria and fungi that can cause food-borne illnesses.
Ants will search any crevice of a building for food and water, including bacteria-ridden areas like toilets and trash cans. As they migrate, they cross-contaminate spaces. Because of this, food that has touched ants should not be eaten, and the same applies to utensils and plates left exposed.
Ants are a top pest control issue and can be virtually impossible to eliminate without professional help. Ending an infestation typically requires proper identification, locating and destroying the nest, and using specialized products.
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