ABOUT ANTS

If you own a home or business, you have likely battled ants in the past. They are the primary pest issue across the United States and often require a trained technician to exterminate them.

There are a variety of different ant types found in Warwick and throughout the area, including: the carpenter ant, citronella ant, odorous ant, pavement ant, and the thief ant.

APPEARANCE

Ants also vary in size and color. They might be anywhere from 1/20” to ½” in length, and their coloring might be yellow, red, brown, and black. Some ants in this area are a combination of these colors.

HABITATS

Ants live in colonies where they build nests. These colonies consist of an average of 5,000 ants, but populations can reach into the millions. Some ants prefer to live outdoors, and others prefer to live indoors. Outdoor ants generally look for food outside, but sometimes they enter a home or business. Inside ants build their nests inside a home or business, which allows them to stay warm over the winter season. These nests might be in foundation walls, under floorboards, inside wall cavities, in insulation, behind cabinets in the kitchen, inside rotted window framing, etc.

DIET

When it comes to food, ants are as diverse as humans, even more so. Generally, ants are omnivores, meaning they eat both plant material (like fruits and vegetables), and “animal” material such as other insects, aphids, spiders, etc. One of their favorite foods is sugar, but they have also been known to eat engine oil, and even other ants. Whatever they will find they will eat, including human foods like bread, meat, sweets, cereal, pasta, fruit, and various other starches.

PROBLEMS WITH ANTS

With the exception of the carpenter ant, most ants are just a nuisance. Because there can be so many of them in one nest, they can easily make themselves known in kitchen cupboards, bathrooms, living rooms, etc. However, carpenter ants can cause actual damage to wooden structures, and the insulation inside them. This is why it is of the utmost importance to call a pest control provider if you see any evidence of ants in your home or business.

BEHAVIOR

For the most part, ants live solely to carry on their ant tasks. They are not inclined to bite or attack humans.

This is true, at least, for most of the ants found in the United States. Fire ants, however, are stinging ants. When a person is bit by a fire ant, the wound feels like a burn, hence the name, Fire Ant.

HEALTH ISSUES

On a grand scale, ants are not associated with spreading disease. They can, however, spread bacteria and germs where they walk, which is why you should always store food in tight containers, keep the kitchen clean, etc. Ants that spread germs and bacteria can do some damage in schools, hospitals, and in homes with young children. The Pharaoh ant, which is indigenous to the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area, can transmit Streptococcus, Salmonella, Shigella, and Staphylococcus, all of which are disease-causing organisms.

SIGNS OF ANT INFESTATION

Worker ants will scavenge for food anytime of the day or night. If there is an infestation in your home or business, you will readily see ants carrying out this activity. Even though one single ant might simply be a scout from outside, it’s more likely that there are thousands of others very close by. Nests of up to 40,000 ants are not uncommon and should be dealt with by a certified technician immediately.

PREVENTION TIPS

In an effort to prevent an ant infestation in your Warwick home or business, SafeGuard Pest Control, LLC suggests these actions:

• Keep all of your food sealed tightly
• Clean spills and crumbs from foods and beverages
• Keep pet areas clean
• Damaged screens should be repaired or replaced
• Foundation and structural cracks should be repaired immediately
• Keep bushes and tree branches trimmed back away from structures

ANT CONTROL

Effective ant control requires a thorough inspection of the building to locate all existing nests, identify the type of ant involved, locate entry points, and determine the best type of treatment.

SafeGuard Pest Control, LLC has been serving Warwick area home and business owners with successful ant eradication and control for over 20 years. Our trusted, licensed exterminators can identify the pest and implement immediate treatment so that everyone in the home or office can regain peace of mind.

FREQUENTLY ASKED ANT CONTROL QUESTIONS

IS IT POSSIBLE TO CONTROL ANTS IN THE YARD?

It is possible to control ants in yards, but it is not always necessary to do so. In fact, ants can be a beneficial species in the garden. They provide natural control of other pests and they are unintentional pollinators. Ecosystems may be healthier thanks to the soil aeration that ants provide, and ants are instrumental in the decomposition of decaying plant matter.

However, having ants in the garden is not always good news. Many ant species are notorious for "farming" aphids. An aphid is an insect that secretes honeydew after feeding on sap from plants. Aphids are hazardous to gardens, and with ants providing care for them, their numbers can grow. Overall, this can have a detrimental effect.

By far the biggest concern is the carpenter ant with its habit of building a nest in wooden structures. They can cause extensive damage that could cost thousands of dollars to repair. A suspected carpenter ant infestation, even if it has not made its way to any structures yet, is certainly worthy of nipping in the bud as soon as possible.

People who find an ant infestation in their yard that concerns them are advised to contact an exterminator immediately. The exterminator can identify the species and provide recommendations regarding whether or not the colony needs to be destroyed.