Ant Control

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Free insect control tips / information / identification for eliminating & controlling bugs / insects from your home or business

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� Directory �

Ant Control �

� Carpenter Ants

� Fire Ants

� Pharoah Ants

� Pavement Ants

Bed Bug Control �

� Bed Bugs

Flea Control �

� Fleas

Spider Control �

Tick Control �

� Deer Tick

� Dog Tick

� Lonestar Tick

� Brown Recluse

� Black Widow

� Wolf Spider

� Tarantula

Termite Control �

� Subterranean

� Formosan

Among the largest of ants, from 1/4 to 3/8 inch long

Carpenter ants do not eat wood, and generally are not as damaging as termites. Carpenter ants use narrow, protected void areas for nests and may be found in doors, window frames, and walls. Southern carpenter ant species prefer to nest in existing voids and cavities and do not usually excavate large nests in wood. At worst, carpenter ants may, on occasion, cause minor damage to isolated pieces of wood. Because carpenter ants are classified as wood-destroying insects, however, they are reportable on real estate transactions and can affect the resale value of a home.

Carpenter ant control can be difficult. The surest way to eliminate a carpenter ant infestation is to locate and treat the nest, or nests.Carpenter ant nests can sometimes be located by the presence of small piles of sawdust, or frass.Carpenter ant frass is usually pushed out of a small hole in the nest chamber. If you can find such a hole, it frequently leads directly into the nest chamber.
Once a nest is located, it can be treated with an insecticide dust labeled for use in wall voids of homes.or injectable aerosol sprays, when treating suspect wall voids or other nest sites.

In buildings, nests are usually first located in warm, moist areas such as the kitchen and bathrooms in a home or apartment. Outside these ants are most often found near heating pipes and radiators, sinks, drains and toilets. As infestations become more severe, ants will be found in other, but less preferred, areas of a building.

After positive identification is made that a Pharaoh ant infestation is present, food baits are placed in areas where ants would most likely be found. These areas include window sills, in kitchen cabinets, in bathroom vanities, along baseboards, next to fish aquariums, on kitchen and bathroom counters, in medicine cabinets, behind a refrigerator or stove and inside the electric outlet boxes in the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room.

approximately 1.5 mm in length

The color of the body varies from a light brown to black, with paler colored legs and antennae

Preferring to nest outside, they construct their nests beneath and along the sides of pavement, such as patios, driveways, sidewalks, even building foundations. They will also nest readily beneath mulch, landscaping, stones and logs. Inside buildings, nests are found within wall voids, attic insulation, beneath toilets and water heaters.

Eliminating aphids most commonly found on ornamental plants may reduce the number of pavement ants; however, a more effective solution is to locate and destroy the colony nest.

Eliminating colonies close to plumbing lines and foundations using a suitable pesticidal bait can help reduce the chance of ants wondering into buildings.

Additionally, incorrectly identifying a Pharaoh ant as another species followed by application of residual insecticides creates a more widespread and difficult-to-control Pharaoh ant infestation.

Do not use other pesticides near sites where you are baiting, as this may repel the ants.

Fire ants are typically ground-nesting ants. However, the southern fire ant will sometimes nest in the wood or masonry of buildings, especially in areas near the soil or warmth such as fireplace hearths. When the southern fire ant nests outside near a house, it is usually in the vicinity of the kitchen. Outside nests are usually situated under stones or other covering objects, or in the soil at the base of a tree or shrub, or in clumps of grass.

Fire ant control is difficult. It usually requires repeated applications of liquid or granular residuals to eliminate the colony. Particularly effective with a single application are residual aerosols applied under high pressure (160 psi) with a long injection probe.

Although baits are slower acting, they are effective. Baits containing only a stomach poison require several applications each season to control newly emerging workers when the queen(s) is/was not killed, and new colonies. Baits containing only an insect growth regulator can provide year-long control with 1 or 2 applications in the residential situation when followed in 7-10 days with a liquid residual application to kill the active foragers. Newer baits containing avermectin,, which acts as both an insect growth regulator and slow-acting stomach poison, give good control without liquid application.

� Ant Control �