Common Types of Ants
Ant Facts
While there are more than 12,000 species of ants in the entire world, only 25 of these species can be found in North America. Some ants live in the ground, making tunnels within the soil, while others prefer to live in dead wood. Most species of ants will bite or sting if they are threatened. Ants are known to infest homes and are very common household pests. You may see ants in your kitchen or living room, or any place where food is kept or eaten, or in your garden or lawn, near the foundation of your home, underneath your driveway, and even in the structural wood of your home.
Ant Identification
Ants can be anywhere from 1/16 inch to 1 inch long, and, depending on the species, will be a various shade of black, brown, or red. Ants are sometimes confused with termites as they do look similar, but there are some distinguishing characteristics that will help you tell them apart. Ants have a pinched waist, while termites are more tube shaped. Ant antennae are bent while termite antennae are straight and may appear beaded. In winged ants, the front set of wings and back set of wings are two distinct sizes, where a termites wings are all equal in size. An ant’s wings are a translucent brown color while a termite’s wings are more opaque and white or gray. Termites wings fall off easily while ant wings are firmly attached to their body.
Ant Bites
Some ants bite, some sting, and some will do both in an attempt to protect themselves. Fire ants are known to bite first to latch onto their enemy before stinging them. Other species, like the crazy ant, have acidopores on their abdomens, which they use to spray chemicals in order to defend themselves. If you are bitten or stung by an ant, use cold packs and/or antihistamines to control any swelling. If you are experiencing symptoms like nausea, dizziness, or hives, or if you think you are having an allergic reaction, seek medical help immediately.
Ant Infestation
Ant infestations are easy to spot. Ants will travel in distinct patterns, and will normally follow structural lines along baseboards, windows, and countertops. If you see a line of ants traveling into or out of your home, you likely have an ant infestation. Another sign of an ant infestation is piles of dirt near your patio or foundation. It is important to get rid of these infestations early, as ants will bite or sting, contaminate your food, and can even cause structural damage to your home.
There are many ways to help prevent an ant infestation. Ants are attracted to damp spaces, so remove any dead wood or debris away from your home and make sure firewood isn’t stored too close to the home. Trim shrubs and bushes away from your foundation, and fill in cracks in your foundation, patio, or driveway. Cut back any tree branches that are too close to your home or roof, and make sure your gutters stay clean. Lastly, keep your trash bins clean as any leftover food will attract ants to your home.
Ants may make their nests in soil or mulch, in dead trees, or beneath rocks. They prefer warm, moist environments close to their source of food. The moisture serves as the ants’ source of water and helps to regulate the temperature within the nest. Ants build tunnel systems within their nests, with spaces designated for certain purposes. Some of these spaces are used to store the ants’ food, while others are for taking care of the eggs or larvae.
An ant colony begins when a fertilized queen burrows into the ground to lay her eggs. She takes care of the first brood of eggs and larvae until they are mature enough to work, then the workers take over in caring for all future broods. The workers will find food for the queen and her larvae, and they also work to protect and maintain their nests. Ants are social insects and normally live in colonies with a caste system. This caste system is made up of sterile, wingless female workers, and then the winged male and female reproductive. These reproducers will occasionally leave the nest to mate. After mating, the males will die and the females will molt their wings in order to begin their own colonies as queens
There are many ways to help prevent an ant infestation. Ants are attracted to damp spaces, so remove any dead wood or debris away from your home and make sure firewood isn’t stored too close to the home. Trim shrubs and bushes away from your foundation, and fill in cracks in your foundation, patio, or driveway. Cut back any tree branches that are too close to your home or roof, and make sure your gutters stay clean. Lastly, keep your trash bins clean as any leftover food will attract ants to your home.
Ants may make their nests in soil or mulch, in dead trees, or beneath rocks. They prefer warm, moist environments close to their source of food. The moisture serves as the ants’ source of water and helps to regulate the temperature within the nest. Ants build tunnel systems within their nests, with spaces designated for certain purposes. Some of these spaces are used to store the ants’ food, while others are for taking care of the eggs or larvae.
An ant colony begins when a fertilized queen burrows into the ground to lay her eggs. She takes care of the first brood of eggs and larvae until they are mature enough to work, then the workers take over in caring for all future broods. The workers will find food for the queen and her larvae, and they also work to protect and maintain their nests. Ants are social insects and normally live in colonies with a caste system. This caste system is made up of sterile, wingless female workers, and then the winged male and female reproductive. These reproducers will occasionally leave the nest to mate. After mating, the males will die and the females will molt their wings in order to begin their own colonies as queens
Frequently Asked Questions
Do ants have wings?
The reproductive male and female ants will have wings. This is true for almost all species of ants, though some ants leave the nest to mate (also called swarming), while other ants mate within their own nests. Queens will shed their wings once they’ve mated.
The reproductive male and female ants will have wings. This is true for almost all species of ants, though some ants leave the nest to mate (also called swarming), while other ants mate within their own nests. Queens will shed their wings once they’ve mated.
How do you tell the difference between ants and termites?
There are a few key distinguishing characteristics that will help you tell the difference between ants and termites. Ants have a pinched waist, bent antennae, and their front wings are larger than their back wings. Termites are tube-shaped with no distinguishable waist, straight antennae, and their front and back wings will be the same size.
What are the benefits of professional ant control?
If you’ve seen a few ants, that means there could be thousands more living in colonies in or around your home. These ants will continue to use your home as a food source until either the food source or the ants have been eliminated. A pest management professional will identify the source of the ant colonies and eradicate them from the inside out.
At Pest Management Solutions, we use strategically placed granular and gel baits that recruit ants into treating their own colony. We can also offer a bi-monthly maintenance program, during which our pest management professionals will proactively treat your home to prevent or eliminate ant infestations.
Ant Control Greenville SC, Spartanburg SC
Ant Control Greenville SC, Spartanburg SC
Top Rated, Locally Owned, Dependable Pest Control Service
At Pest Management Solutions, each and every one of our team members is driven to provide customer focused service to each and every one of our valued family members. We are a Google top rated pest control company servicing the Greenville SC and Spartanburg SC areas.
With almost a quarter century of industry experience, Pest Management Solutions has been serving residents and business owners, of all types, with safe, honest and reliable pest control services, keeping the health and safety of our family and yours as our top priority. Without exception, our professionals provide unquestionable expertise in pest control and pest management services through innovative techniques and modern equipment.
Taking the time to offer sensible and very transparent recommendations, we ensure that you are fully knowledgeable in just what steps we’ll be taking to completely eradicate your pest concerns.
So whether you need pest control services in Greenville SC or in Spartanburg SC you can count us to handle your pest problem with care and efficiency, making good on our promise of unmatched excellence in all that we do.
Done right the first time, we guarantee your satisfaction.
We offer everything from residential pest control to commercial pest control, termite control, mosquito control, rodent control, cockroach control, you name it we get rid of it.
"My promise to you is that you will not be unhappy and we will always consider your safety as well as the safety of our family each time we make a service call"
-David Fleming (owner)
With almost a quarter century of industry experience, Pest Management Solutions has been serving residents and business owners, of all types, with safe, honest and reliable pest control services, keeping the health and safety of our family and yours as our top priority. Without exception, our professionals provide unquestionable expertise in pest control and pest management services through innovative techniques and modern equipment.
Taking the time to offer sensible and very transparent recommendations, we ensure that you are fully knowledgeable in just what steps we’ll be taking to completely eradicate your pest concerns.
So whether you need pest control services in Greenville SC or in Spartanburg SC you can count us to handle your pest problem with care and efficiency, making good on our promise of unmatched excellence in all that we do.
Done right the first time, we guarantee your satisfaction.
We offer everything from residential pest control to commercial pest control, termite control, mosquito control, rodent control, cockroach control, you name it we get rid of it.
"My promise to you is that you will not be unhappy and we will always consider your safety as well as the safety of our family each time we make a service call"
-David Fleming (owner)
We have treatment methods for the following pests: As well as general pest management, eco-friendly services, residential, commercial and restaurant services.
RESIDENTIAL PEST CONTROL Protecting the health and safety of your
family and property, our friendly team of pest control experts focuses their complete attention on providing residents with superior extermination services. Backed by almost a quarter century of industry experience, our services and customer care are unparalleled. |
COMMERCIAL PEST CONTROLWith a focus that has always been keenly aimed at providing incomparable service, we use our expertise in pest control to eliminate and prevent the nuisance of insects and rodents in and around your business. Pairing innovative equipment with cutting-edge techniques, we guarantee complete eradication of pest populations.
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RESTAURANT PEST CONTROLKeeping area restaurants pest-free since 1993, our pest control experts are some of the most experienced and sought-after professionals in the local industry. Understanding the need for pristine kitchen and dining room environments, we provide restaurants our utmost effort in the elimination and prevention of all types of pests. Schedule your on-site assessment now.
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