Ants are one of the most commonly found creatures around the world. Not only is there a wide variety of them but different species as well. Today, around 12,000 species of ants have been identified. However, there is a small fraction of them that invades homes. Both visually and physically, ants may look the same but each specie differs from the other. The type of ants invading your house or backyard could be identified by habitat, appearance, and the region where you live.
Furthermore, the color, size, and shape of the ants also help with identification as well. These things could potentially be harmful as they could bite, sting, or do both. Therefore, you must identify them and get rid of them as soon as possible. For professional ant control treatment, open the given link.
Pavement Ants
The pavement ant is one of the most popular types of ants found in the U.S. It exists in around 50 states. Pavement ants could be identified by its brownish-black body with pale-colored legs. Furthermore, you could observe two spines at its thorax’s end. With the passage of time, pavement ants have adapted themselves to the climate and weather conditions of the U.S. Therefore, regardless of the extreme weather conditions, these ants continue to thrive.
How to get rid of pavement ants?
The best way to get rid of pavement ants is by following their trail. Identify the path they follow and you will come to find the actual source. Another way is to place a bait throughout the trail. The ants will pick them up and carry it back to their nests. This will eliminate the workers as well as the queen. If the trail leads underneath the earth, spray an insecticide. Remember, the aim is to kill the queen. Killing the workers will not solve the problem.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants differ from pavement ants in terms of nesting. These ants prefer living in moist outdoor areas where there is preferably decaying wood in buildings and homes. However, if you do not deal with the infestation immediately, it will grow and even attack sound wood. Finding the source of these ants is a bit tricky and time-consuming as they usually have two nesting sites, one being the parent and other satellite colonies.
How to get rid of carpenter ants?
To get rid of carpenter ants, regularly trim your trees and plants that consist of wood. Make sure that there is no decaying or moist wood present around the house. Get your hands on an approved insecticide that is labeled to control carpenter ants and spray it around the house. It is recommended that you do it in the fall and spring. Lastly, follow the trail and apply a chemical insecticide. However, as there could be multiple nests, locating the parent nest could be difficult. Try placing baits along the tunnels as well to make things a bit easier.
Odorous House Ants
The odorous house ants are known to nest almost anywhere. You can find them under logs, stones, debris, inside nests of mammals and birds, in homes, window frames and walls, etc. As compared to the previous types of ants, the odorous house ants make things a bit more complicated. While the pavement and carpenter ants limit themselves when it comes to nesting, the odorous house ants don’t. Therefore, you will have to put in more time and effort to deal with them.
How to get rid of odorous house ants?
Begin with trimming the trees and shrubs away from your house. Purchase ant baits from your local store and place them according to the directions present on the label. Identify the trails and spray chemical insecticide around the house. Try locating every nesting site to permanently eliminate the problem. If the situation does not come under control, hire a pest control professional.
Red Imported Fire Ants
Red imported fire ants is the type that could cause damage. Virtually, it is impossible to get rid of them completely as they will infest all areas. However, dealing with fire ants is necessary because some of them can sting or bite when threatened. Therefore, if you have kids or pet animals around the house, you need to be cautious.
How to get rid of red imported fire ants?
Placing baits is the most effective method when it comes to getting rid of red imported fire ants. The ants will carry them to their nest and poison the workers and the queen. Furthermore, you could apply insecticide on the entire lawn so that the ants do not have anywhere to move. However, if you are able to locate the fire ant mounds, you could deal with them separately instead of spraying the entire lawn.
Pharaoh Ants
Pharaoh ant colonies could become extremely large and expand in thousands as well. The ants will develop multiple colonies and nests with a queen in each one. A queen in a particular colony will control hundreds of workers and will continue creating new colonies through budding. Budding is the process where a queen moves from a current nest to a new one with its workers to start a new colony.
How to get rid of pharaoh ants?
Using bait is going to be the most effective method. Ants will easily fall prey to baits and carry them to their nests. As a result, the queen and workers will be poisoned. However, since these ants create multiple colonies, drenching them in chemical insecticide might not be effective. The ants will quickly move to another location with their queen. And, if there happen to be multiple queens, then you might want to hire a professional.
Final Word
Apart from the types of ants mentioned above, there are many other species that exist. Ants are largely considered pests as they infest multiple areas at a time by producing large colonies. Furthermore, some possess the ability to sting and even cause anaphylactic shock. Therefore, to prevent any type of damage, it is important that you strictly deal with the situation before it gets out of control.