How do ants live?

Ants are social insects living in colonies. Usually a colony has three distinct castes: queens, workers and males. Each caste looks different and has a different job.

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What does the queen do?

The queen lays eggs. Depending upon the species, a colony may have only one queen or they may have several. The colony protects the queen and she never leaves the nest.

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What do workers do?

The larger major workers look for food and guard the nest. The smaller minor workers expand the nest and tend the eggs and larvae.

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How are new colonies made?

A few times during the year, the queen produces winged males and females that leave the colony to start a new nest.

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Identification of Ants

Identification of the right species of ant is very important for the type and duration of control. Make sure to have ants properly identified by an entomologist.

Pharoah Ant

What are pharoah ants?

Pharoah ants are very tiny, about one millimeter long. They are yellowish orange. Pharoah ants are often found in dwellings, bakeries and restaurants. Colonies nest in piles of clothes, between floorboards and in cracks and crevices. Colonies have several queens.

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What are carpenter ants?

Carpenter ants are large, measuring approximately 13 millimeters long. They are black or black and brown. Carpenter ants nest in moist wood. Carpenter ants in a building are often a sign of a moisture problem. In natural areas, the ants nest in logs, stumps or dead or dying trees. In constructed areas, they nest in wooden posts, beams, walls and joists. They tunnel through the rotting wood leaving honeycombed galleries. Carpenter ants do not eat wood.

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What are odorous house ants?

Odorous house ants are small ants measuring approximately 2.5 millimeters long. They nest outdoors. The ants construct their nest out of mounds of dirt. The worker ants search far for food. They often enter buildings. Once they have found food, they leave a scent trail for other ants. They feed on a variety of organic material.

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How do I control ants in my home?

If you find ants in your house, it means that the ants have found a food source. Find the area where the ants are getting inside and seal it. Often ants find cracks and enter the house near the foundation, vents, windows and utility pipes. Keep food in plastic containers and vacuum frequently to pick up crumbs.

You can try to keep ants from entering your home by placing repellents along house entry points. Use egg shells, red pepper, Borax, calcium dust, bone meal, diatomaceous earth or powdered charcoal to repel ants.

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How do I control ants in my lawn?

You can mix a bait using the laundry additive, Borax. In a jar with holes in the lid, mix three cups water, one cup sugar and four teaspoons of Borax, otherwise known as boric acid. Place the jar near the ant hill. The ants eat the mix for the sugar and before they die, they feed it to their nest mates.

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How do I get rid of carpenter ants in my home?

Call a pest control professional to control ants. However, the ants are often a sign of unsound wood. You may have some structural damage. You can reduce the likelihood of a carpenter ant infestation by removing old tree stumps, firewood and old, rotting wood by buildings.

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