Have you noticed tiny, unwanted guests marching around your home? Ants are common household pests, but before you can effectively tackle the problem, you need to know exactly what kind of ants you’re dealing with.
Table of Contents
Identifying Your Ants
So, how can you identify the type of ant that has decided to set up camp in your home? The first step is to try and get a clear, close-up photo of the ant. This might seem a bit tricky given their size and speed, but a good quality smartphone camera should do the trick.
Once you’ve got your photo, you can email it to your local university extension service. If you’re unsure of how to contact them, simply use an online search engine and type in your state’s name followed by “university extension service”. These professionals will help you determine the kind of ant you’re dealing with and provide you with insights about the ant’s nesting behaviors and preferred habitats.
They may also provide you with useful fact sheets and recommendations on how to eradicate the specific species of ant you’ve discovered.
The Structure of an Ant Colony
Understanding the structure of an ant colony is essential when dealing with an infestation. Ants are social creatures, living in large colonies where each ant plays a specific role.
The Queen Ant
The reproductive individuals, known as queens, reside in a hidden nest. Their primary role is to ensure the colony’s survival by continuously producing new ants.
Worker Ants
The worker ants, on the other hand, could number from a few thousand to millions, particularly in larger colonies. The younger workers typically stay within the nest, caring for the queen and maintaining or expanding the nest. The older worker ants are the ones you’re likely to see, as they venture outside to gather food for the colony.
If you’ve spotted an ant in your home, it’s likely an older worker following a trail from the nest, hidden somewhere in your home, to a food source.
Tackling an Ant Infestation
When dealing with an ant infestation, simply spraying the visible ants won’t cut it. This is because the queen, the one laying all of the eggs, never leaves the nest. If you only spray the worker ants, the queen will continue to produce more, and your infestation will persist.
The key to successfully dealing with an ant infestation is to find and eliminate the queen ant, a task that can be challenging given that nests are often hidden behind walls or concrete slabs.
The Structure of an Ant Colony
Understanding the structure of an ant colony is essential when dealing with an infestation. Ants are social creatures, living in large colonies where each ant plays a specific role.
The Queen Ant
The reproductive individuals, known as queens, reside in a hidden nest. Their primary role is to ensure the colony’s survival by continuously producing new ants.
Worker Ants
The worker ants, on the other hand, could number from a few thousand to millions, particularly in larger colonies. The younger workers typically stay within the nest, caring for the queen and maintaining or expanding the nest. The older worker ants are the ones you’re likely to see, as they venture outside to gather food for the colony.
If you’ve spotted an ant in your home, it’s likely an older worker following a trail from the nest, hidden somewhere in your home, to a food source.
Tackling an Ant Infestation
When dealing with an ant infestation, simply spraying the visible ants won’t cut it. This is because the queen, the one laying all of the eggs, never leaves the nest. If you only spray the worker ants, the queen will continue to produce more, and your infestation will persist.
The key to successfully dealing with an ant infestation is to find and eliminate the queen ant, a task that can be challenging given that nests are often hidden behind walls or concrete slabs.
How to Find Ant Nests
Finding and eliminating an ant nest is crucial, especially if you’re dealing with carpenter ants, which can cause structural damage to your home. However, finding the nest can be quite tricky and will require some detective work.
Locating the Nest
Ants prefer moist environments, so look for areas in your home with water damage. This could be framing or flooring that’s been weakened by a plumbing or roof leak. Good places to start are attics, bathrooms, and outside walls.
Once you’ve identified potential locations, you can make small holes in the water-damaged walls to search for the nest. (Don’t worry about the holes; you’ll have to fix the water damage anyway.)
Treating the Nest
When you find the nest, you can treat it with an insecticide that contains bifenthrin, permethrin, or deltamethrin (check the product label for these ingredients). One such product is Ortho’s Home Defense Max. After treating the nest, make sure to fix any water leaks and replace any damaged wood.
If you’re unable to locate the nest, it might be worth hiring a professional pest control agency. Professionals spend nearly 80% of their time locating nests, and their rates start at around $150. More complicated infestations may require multiple treatments and could cost up to $400.
Are Ants Harmful to Humans?
You might be asking yourself, “Are these tiny creatures actually harmful?” According to the National Wildlife Federation, there are over 12,000 species of ants worldwide. The vast majority of these pose no direct threat to humans.
However, it’s important to note that ants can carry bacteria, potentially acting as vectors for disease. A small animal study published in 2019 found that Monomorium ants could transmit pathogens harmful to humans. Moreover, a 2005 study highlighted that pharaoh ants, also a type of Monomorium ant, could cause respiratory allergies and bronchial asthma.
In Conclusion
Ants are fascinating creatures, with complex social structures and a wide array of species. However, when they decide to set up a colony in your home, it’s important to take action. By identifying the species, understanding their behavior, and targeting their nests, you can effectively manage and eliminate an ant infestation. Always remember, if the problem seems too big to handle, professional pest control services are just a call away.
Last update on 2024-04-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using these links.
