Evans Pest Control Provides Effective Treatment For The Elimination of Ants and Insect Pests

Ants are important natural predators of many other insect pests including flea and fly larvae, caterpillars and termites. However, there are times when it may be necessary to get rid of an ant and insect pest problem, especially when they are found in the home. Some ants invade lawns and gardens where they build large mounds. They can also damage plants and trees by tunneling around the roots causing them to dry out.

Identification

Common in and around the home, ants range in size from about 1/32 to 3/4 inch long. They have three body parts (head, thorax and abdomen) and can be anywhere from a yellowish-red in color to black. Most are wingless, but winged forms exist during “swarming” or colony reproduction. Ants have pincer-like jaws and can bite although most do not. A few species are very aggressive and will inflict a painful sting.

Keep it Clean to Deter Ants

A clean house is your first defense against ants. Sweep up food crumbs, wipe up spills, take out the garbage and don’t leave dirty dishes sitting around the house. This takes away the ants’ food source. Spray vinegar mixed with water around bowls of pet food to keep ants from feasting there.

Erase Ant Trails

Where you see one ant, you’re bound to see others. That’s because ants leave a scented trail that other ants follow. Sweeping or mopping isn’t enough to eliminate the scent. Instead, mix 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water in a spray bottle, then spray wherever you’ve seen ants in the past. This will stop outdoor nesting ants that entered the house to forage for food (ants that come inside are not necessarily trying to establish a nest).Vinegar and water won’t stop ants that are already nesting indoors. You’ll need to kill them with ant bait.

Determine the Best Ant Bait

When you see an ant, your first impulse is probably to step on it. But don’t. You’ll kill it, but for every ant you see, there may be hundreds more hiding in the house. The ones you see are scout ants, foraging for food sources to take back to the colony. You can use these ants to kill off the entire colony.

Prebait ants in areas you’ve previously seen them. Ants’ tastes change during the year. They usually prefer protein in the spring and sweets or fatty/oily foods in the summer. Set out sugar or honey, fried food and peanut butter, then see which food attracts ants. Use whichever food they prefer for bait.

Once you know what the ants like, buy and set out toxic ant bait that’s geared to their taste. Look on the bait package for words like “controls both sweet and protein eating ants.”

There are more than 700 ant species found in the United States, although only about 25 species commonly infest homes. Ants are social insects that typically live in underground colonies, made up of workers and a queen. Ants will eat practically any kind of food, but are attached to different foods at different times of the year. Ants have three distinct body regions: head, thorax and abdomen, as well as antennae. Despite similar construction, ants vary in overall appearance. Small or large ants and brown or black ants are common nicknames for different species.