This species is a ubiquitous pest problem. Whether urban, industrial, suburban, or rural, no one is immune from experiencing infestations by little black ants.
Little black ants may make their way indoors primarily in search of food or water. Additionally, they may establish a nest or at least part of a nest inside a human habitation. When this occurs, the problems for the homeowners multiply. This is because little black ant colonies are huge, including two or three queens that ensure rapid population growth. What began as a headache quickly escalates into a nightmare.
Finding and eradicating nests is difficult. Moreover, it is not always easy for an untrained eye to determine where the ants are entering the structure. It is for reasons such as these that professional ant control is critical.
Exterminators are trained to locate and eliminate all access points that pests may use to get into a human habitation. Additionally, it is the goal of the pest management professional to find and eradicate the ant colony. With additional protective measures in place to guard against future pest infestations, families can rest assured that ant infestations are a thing of the past.
WHAT DO LITTLE BLACK ANTS LOOK LIKE?
Almost uniformly jet black in color, little black ant workers measure about one-sixteenth of an inch long. The queens may be between three and four times this size. This species may be identified by the lack of spines on the thorax, the unevenly rounded profile and the two segmented waist. Additionally, the antennae are made up of 12 segments that terminate in a club that has three segments.
WHERE DO LITTLE BLACK ANTS LIVE?
In their natural environment, this species prefers to live in wooded areas, but when they live close to human habitations, their habitat is more varied. They may utilize the depression beneath a large rock, a rotting log or a pile of wood or bricks as a nesting site.
When they make their way indoors, little black ants may establish a nest. Frequently, these are found in wall voids, hidden by brick veneer, under the carpet close to a doorway, behind masonry or within woodwork. Cracks and holes in the home's exterior further may provide ideal nesting habitat.
WHAT DO LITTLE BLACK ANTS EAT?
The species is classified as omnivorous yet shows a distinct preference for sweet foods. Mealybugs, scales and aphids produce a sweet substance called honeydew that forms a major portion of the little black ants' diet. Additionally, the species is known to consume vegetables, fruits, insects, the secretions from various plants and cornmeal.
Kitchens and pantries have much to offer foraging little black ants. In addition to fruits and vegetables, these pests will eat honey, syrup, peanut butter, grains, bread, meat and dessert items. Pet food similarly is infested by little black ants.
DAMAGE CAUSED BY LITTLE BLACK ANTS
While they are not as destructive as carpenter ants, little black ants do have a preference for nesting in rotting wood. This behavior can make conditions worse, creating potentially expensive problems in fencing, decks, wooden building frames and within other structures.
During an infestation, worker ants will march in a continuous line from the nest to sources of food and water within the home. Any surface that they contact is immediately contaminated and must be disinfected. Similarly, any food that has been infested by little black ants must be thrown away because consuming it puts people at risk of food poisoning.
DO LITTLE BLACK ANTS CARRY DISEASE?
Little black ants cannot make people sick with a bite or a sting. Nonetheless, they are a threat to health.
This is mainly due to the fact that workers in the colony are constantly on the move, looking for new sources of food and water to ensure survival. Workers travel indoors and out, going into drains, sewers, garbage cans and animal carcasses before marching determinedly across kitchen floors and counters.
Next, the ants make their way into food items that are intended for human or pet consumption. Across kitchen surfaces and in food containers, little black ants leave behind bacteria like Staphylococcus and Salmonella. Both of these items, plus other contaminants, easily can make people sick when they are ingested.
The best way to protect against food poisoning is to guard the house against pest infestations.
ARE LITTLE BLACK ANTS AGGRESSIVE?
Little black ants are equipped with stingers. However, given their tiny size, they pose no risk to humans.
Nonetheless, little black ants are a singularly determined species. When homeowners see a seemingly endless line of tiny insects marching across their kitchen floor or counter, it is easy to see them as aggressive. In reality, the ants are merely acting according to their instinct.
Like many ant species, little black ants create a pheromone trail that leads colony members from the nest to sources of food and water. Eliminating this trail is not as easy as many people think. In fact, it is necessary to not only block the access points that the ants are using but also to destroy the pheromone trail to ensure that the problem is not repeated. If the nest is actually inside the house, then it must be located and destroyed.
Only an experienced pest management professional can perform all of these tasks effectively.
HOW TO DETECT LITTLE BLACK ANTS
Signs of an ant infestation include:
• Lines of marching ants in kitchens or bathrooms • Food in pantries or kitchens that is infested with ants • Ants discovered entering a crack or gap in the home's exterior
HOW TO PREVENT LITTLE BLACK ANTS
To help protect against ant issues the following steps should be taken:
• Use a silicone-based caulk to seal cracks in the building's exterior • Keep stacks of wood a minimum of 20 feet away from structures • Trim trees and shrubberies so that they do not touch building exteriors • Remove and discard any decaying wood on the property • Ensure that wooden building components are painted or finished and in good repair • Keep landscape mulch at least one foot away from foundations • Prevent sprinklers from directly spraying foundations • Change landscaping to eliminate plants that attract aphids and mealybugs • Store food in glass or metal containers with lids • Immediately clean up spills and crumbs • Keep garbage cans clean
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.
