As one of the universal pests in North America, many people have first-hand experience with how bothersome ants can be. If you have a picnic in the great outdoors, you will likely see them in action, stealing away parts of your meal. They are known for their exceptional strength and can lift and carry up to ten times their body weight.
For over 100 million years, they owe their success to their enthusiastic social nature and strict organization. They live in colonies, up to tens of thousands, who follow assigned roles. Each colony hosts the queen, male breeders, and female workers. As the only one who is capable, the queen spends her entire adult life laying eggs. After mating with the males mid-air, she sheds her wings while the males fall to the ground and die, fulfilling their only purpose.
One of the more disconcerting features of winged ants is their similarity in appearance to termites. Ants have a narrow and constricted waist and bent antennae, while termites are rectangular and have no constrictions and straight antennae. Termites also have wings of equal size that are longer than their bodies. Though ants are generally less alarming than termites, you should still seek to take care of them immediately.
The Most Typical Ants In Indiana
Carpenter Ants pose the greatest threat to your home, as they can cause significant damage to structures with their aggressive tunneling. They build their nests by hollowing out wood, and when disturbed, they will retaliate with a painful bite capable of breaking skin. Though they typically enter homes through wet, moldy, or damaged wood, they can also adapt to drier environments. Inside your home, you will usually find their nests behind bathroom tiles, around tubs, sinks, showers, and dishwashers, under roofing, in attic beams, and under subfloor insulation.
Odorous House Ants have a sweet tooth and will make a beeline for sugar above all other substances. For nesting spots, they favor voids in walls and beneath floors. Though relatively harmless, they can take over your kitchen and contaminate food with their waste. Once the scouts find something, they will lay down a trail for their others to follow. Considering their colonies contain up to 100,000 members, these pests can become quite a nuisance when they start bringing their friends to the party.
Pavement Ants are among the most common in the United States and tend to thrive in urban environments. They are incredibly resilient and can even recolonize an area after construction projects. Like Odorous Ants, they form large colonies and contaminate food with their waste.
What To Do In The Case Of An Ant Infestation
They can be particularly tricky to exterminate for a homeowner. Many species can become resistant to pesticides. Some species will even break off and create new nests once their primary nest is discovered. Such adaptations make it challenging to identify and destroy them entirely. Especially in the case of swarming Carpenter Ants, you should contact an exterminator right away. At Bug Off Pest Pros, we utilize the most effective and up-to-date methods to keep intruding ants from making a picnic out of your home.
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