Getting rid of little black ants, despite how little is known about the biological perspective, is as easy as getting rid of sugar ants. Sweet baits can be used to control little black ants indoors, and protein baits can be used to control little black ants outdoors Pest Control Services for residential including single family residences, apartments, commercial including hotels, restaurants, schools and industrial establishments including warehouses and grocery stores is the ticket.
Ants are by far the most common phone call extermination pest control services . Sometimes these ants are just a nuisance and other times just plain destructive. It is a rarely that people know what kind of ant infestation that has occurred when contacting a pest control company. It’s no big deal as the professional pest control technician can kill the pests either way. But it’s best to know if an ant is wood destroying or not and to help give important information so as to make a wise decision about the health of the home.
Basically, if there are ants, there’s about a 50% chance of having a wood destroying ant since there are mainly just 4 types of ants in the Pacific Northwest, that pest control companies get numerous calls on. Yes, there are many types of ants but check out the following.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are the most common. Many people have carpenter ants for years and do not realize it. Thinking it is just a “black ant” and is harmless. However, having an ant that is larger than 1/4 inch will most likely be a carpenter ant. These ants are a wood destroying ant and can do considerable damage if left unchecked for long periods of time. The ants do not digest the wood, but excavate it to create nests and galleries.
Moisture Ants
Also a wood destroying ant, a moisture ant is smaller and much harder to identify. The moisture ants operate much like a carpenter ant, but are less destructive because of only being attracted to wood that is moist or rotting. The pests are small like a sugar ant and are reddish in color. The back of the bodies are almost translucent and shaped like a top. When seeing moisture ants, be on the lookout for water damaged wood.
Pavement Ants
A very common type of ant found in driveways. The pavement ants are as small as a sugar ant or moisture ant, but have a very large head and smaller body. Can be found inside the home, but tend to stay low on the ground. The pavement ants are less of a nuisance because the ants don’t spread like a sugar ant does. Pest Control services can get rid of these ants quickly and effectively.
Sugar Ants
Sugar Ants are the hardest ants to get rid of. Just about all owners will deal with sugar ants at some point in the home or businesses. The pests are strictly a nuisance and do no damage, but are extremely hard to get rid of. The ants are the tiny black ants that are all over the kitchen and are attracted to anything sweet. There are a lot of ways that can make the ants infestation worse if self-treatment is attempted.
What To Do for Ants Infestation:
Call Am Pm Pest Control services to utilize professional services. Entrusting the home or business to the experts to exterminate the ants.
Ant problem under control, inspections is an important first step
To find Ant nests, follow the trails. Ants lay down a chemical pheromone trail along the established routes to and from a food source so other Ants can easily find the food.
Inside a house, inspect along the carpet edges, doors, windows, and all areas of the kitchen. The easiest way to find a trail to the nest is to watch where ants go after reaching the food source. When targeting Carpenter Ants, inspection at night is more effective since the larger Carpenter Ant is nocturnal. Carpenter Ants can be spotted emerging from damaged wood inside the house, or foraging outside in woodpiles, rotted or water-damaged wood, and tree stumps.
Outside the house, inspect around foundation walls, areas of vegetation, and mulch. Any vegetation found near patios and walls may hide some Ant nests or the ant trails. Check under any item that is on the ground. Some ant nests are well hidden.Follow the trail to find the nest.Treat the nest directly if possible or use bait or non-repellent insecticide around the perimeter of the house and on the ant trails.
The over the counter insecticide may give the satisfaction of seeing ants drop dead on the counters, but it’s not the best choice for dealing with sugar ants. The new ants pest control product technology combine a preferred ant food with an active ingredient that kills the ant after it brings a meal back to the colony to share with the queen ant. The ants you don’t see will die as well.
There are ways to prevent Sugar Ants from Invading the Home:
Old homes seem to attract sugar ants the most because of having have more cracks to sneak through and can just as easily find a way into newer homes too. Keeping the home clean is not enough for keeping these tiny insects away.
A must is to seal up the foundation and any cracks around the windows and doors. Another thing to do is to replace decaying wood frames and shingles. If the roof is old and damaged, it is best to replace that too.Spraying the foundation with a natural pesticide helps prevent the ants from even thinking about invading the home. If sugar ants are found outside the home, destroy it right away to prevent future visitors. The best option would be to call your pest control services experts and that is AMPM Exterminators. The treatment provided will be tailor made for the little armies of black ants. There can be multiple little sugar ant
soldiers marching around the property.
Some of the Ways to keep Sugar Ants out of Food Products:
Place opened boxed and bagged goods such as cereals, cookies, fruit snacks and chips into sealed containers or bags.
Store flours and sugars in airtight baking storage containers.
Store honeys, syrups and molasses product in the refrigerator and just gently warm the product up when needed.
Never leave sticky sugary snacks open on the counter because this will attract the ants to other food products in the home.
Store breads and baked goods in the refrigerator or bread boxes that seal up.
Wash dishes immediately. Do not allow to sit around unwashed.
Never dump sugary foods down the garbage shoot in the sink because it will leave a sticky residue and attract ants.
Taking out the trash as soon as it’s full or right before bedtime can go a long way to prevent ants from crawling into the kitchen.
Never leave sticky foods outside near entry ways that lead into the kitchen.
Keep open sodas, juices, coffees and teas in the refrigerator.
Wiping down kitchen surfaces such as the microwave, stove, refrigerator, counter tops, tables, chairs and floors can keep sticky sweetness away, which helps keep the ants away.
What the little black ants look like:
Pavement Ants are medium-sized(1/8 inch long). The pests vary in color from light brown to black with lighter legs and antennae. The head and thorax have longitudinal, parallel grooves and move slowly.
Where the pavement ants nest:
Pavement Ants got the name because of it’s habit of nesting under pavement slabs, such as sidewalks, driveways, and foundations. The ants usually nest outdoors in open soil or under stones or slabs. Outdoor nests are recognizable by the “dirt craters” the ants leave around the nest entrances. The ants will sometimes also nest indoors in walls or under floors. Often move indoors in the winter and nest near heating sources,such as radiators.
What Pavement Ants eat:
Pavement Ants feed on both sweet and protein foods. Also on sugary liquids like honeydew from plant-sucking insects such as aphids, scales, and mealybugs. The pests also feed on live and dead insects and plants.
Steps to prevent little black sugar ants invasion
Pavement Ants are easily controlled with baits. AMPM Exterminators will protect the home from pavement ant infestations by sealing cracks and crevices where ants could enter. Advising customers to repair water leaks. Also some extra advice for customers would be no over watering of plants,make sure to cleanup food spills, store food in tightly-sealed containers, and do not leave pet food out.
Natural ways of killing and getting rid of sugars ants in homes and commercial business buildings
Killing sugar ants is fairly easy, and the surest way is to set out ant baits. There are several types to choose from, so it is a matter of making an educated decision. Sweet baits are the most common used method of killing sugar ants. Most all of these baits will contain boric acid, also known as Borax. Borax is usually non-toxic to humans, but ingestion isn’t recommended. If you have children or pets this style of eradication isn’t recommended. This mineral is poisonous to ants, and has the ability to kill a whole colony. The trap works by luring ants to partake in the sweet boric acid, from there the ants will then take a portion of it back to their dwelling. After the other ants consume the bait very soon the whole colony will be exterminated.
There are natural ways to control and kill sugar ants that are safe for children and pets to be around. One way is using white vinegar to clean surfaces instead of the bleach cleaner. The strong odor of vinegar isn’t pleasant, but will detract the ants from frequenting the counters. The acetic acid in the vinegar works as a cleaning agent, and will be just as effective as the bleach solution. Another natural method to repel the insects is whole cloves. The pungent scent of cloves seems to drive away ants, as it confuses their senses. Placing this spice along baseboards and under windows is a great way to deter the ants from entering the home or building. Bay leaves are a natural deterrent for these insects, and should be used exactly like the aforementioned cloves. Looking for a natural way to kill ants use boiling water by Locating the ant colony by following the ant trail, then pour boiling water into it. This will end the ants disturbing presence in your home.
It’s time to call AMPM Exterminators for a professional technician to shut the invasion down. The technician will scout the areas indoors and outdoors to determine the magnitude of infestation of the little black sugar ants.Also known as Pavement Ants. Years of professional experience is just what is needed to make war with the infestation.
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