Ants (formīca)

Ants (formīca)

Pest Advice for controlling Ants

The commonest species that invades houses is the Black Garden Ant, which is actually very dark brown. All ants have the main divisions of the body (head, thorax, abdomen) distinctly separated by very narrow waists and have a sharp elbow joint in their antennae. They are highly organised social insects. It is the foraging worker ants that invade buildings in search of food. These are from 3 to 5mm in length and are attracted to sweet foodstuffs which they take back to the nest to feed to the larvae and queen.

How does a home or business get rid of Ants?

Ant infestations can be tricky to get rid of if not treated by a professional pest control company such as Central Pest Control. Seeing one ant and stepping on it does not mean the end of your ant problem. Ants are relentless and once they find a food source in your home or business, they will alert their colony via chemical pheromone, which other ants will follow from the colony to the food.

The so-called ant’s eggs sold for aquaria fish are actually the pupae. Flying ants are the reproductive males and females. These mating ants are winged and have a nuptial swarming flight during only a few days in July or August. Mating takes place in the air and the female then seeks out a nest site where she stays for the winter, laying eggs the following spring in order to start up a new colony.

Central Pest Control has tips for you on how to prevent Ants getting comfortable in your home.

Leaks: Ants need water to survive. We would advise checking that pipes and taps aren’t leaking and that gutters are functioning correctly and directing water into drains.
Housekeeping: Good housekeeping is essential for keeping ant infestations at bay. Minimize any potential food source – clean up crumbs off counters and floors, don’t leave dirty plates around and don’t leave the dishwasher open with dirty dishes inside, empty and clean rubbish bins on a regular basis. Housekeeping is very important to avoid food stuffs being contaminated.
Exclusion: Worker ants gain access to your home through gaps, cracks and holes so sealing these potential access points is essential for preventing ant infestations. Look for cracks in the foundation, holes in walls or worn door or window seals. And secondly, seal up potential access sites immediately if you cannot find or seal the access point, hire a professional. A professional pest control company should provide eradication and proofing services.

Did you know that ants can climb easily up onto work surfaces, in and around fridges and freezers, looking for sugar related foods?

Pest prevention is always better than cure. The longer you leave an ant problem the harder it will become to get rid of seasonal ants completely. We advise you to get help as soon as you notice a presence of an ant colony in or around your property during the months from March through to September, a lot depending on the climate.

How to deal with Ants

First, find the nest entrances. These are indicated by small piles of earth pellets or can be located by watching the ants moving back and forth from nest to food.

Pouring a kettle of boiling water over the nest site is a first-aid measure.

Some products cause the workers to destroy their own nests, for example, sugar based liquid bait. The workers are attracted to the bait and carry the insecticide back to the larvae and queen. Some centrally heated blocks of flats may be troubled by the much smaller tropical Pharaoh’s Ant, which prefers protein to sweet foods and has multiple – and often inaccessible – nests within the building structure.

Ghost Ants are becoming more common in heated buildings. These are a similar size to Pharaoh’s ants and is pale coloured with a dark thorax and head. Control must be left to professional operators.