Ant Identification

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Ants

What are ants?

Ants are insects; they regularly invade our homes and businesses, usually while searching for food to feed their expansive colonies. Social insects, ants live and work together in large groups, each ant with its own assigned task to help the colony succeed.

Below is a brief description of the ants that are most likely to invade our Manteca properties.

  • Acrobat ants: These ants can be identified by the unique way they hold their abdomens above their heads when disturbed.
  • Argentine ants: These ants have extremely large colony sizes and travel in wide trails while foraging for food.
  • Carpenter ants: These are the largest ants in our area to invade our homes and businesses.
  • Fire ants: These tiny ants are highly aggressive and deliver painful bites and stings. They work together to attack any person or animal they perceive as a threat to their nest.
  • Odorous house ants: These ants produce an intense foul odor likened to rotten coconuts when crushed.
  • Pavement ants: These ants like to nest in the soil next to sidewalks and foundations or the cracks of pavement or masonry walls.
  • Pharaoh ants: This species has adapted to living indoors with people. They are a common problem in homes, schools, and hospitals.
  • Velvet ants: These are brightly colored ants with shades of yellow and brown or red and black. Some species can produce a squeaky sound when disturbed.

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Are ants dangerous?

Ants certainly can be quite dangerous to both people and our properties. Despite being tiny insects, when they work together as a group, the problems they cause can become quite large!

Reasons why ants are dangerous and unwanted include:

  • Some species, like fire ants and velvet ants, deliver painful bites and stings.
  • Pharaoh ants and other species are capable of spreading disease-causing pathogens that make people quite ill.
  • Carpenter ants will chew through a home’s structural wood while creating tunnels and nesting galleries.
  • Ants are often attracted to moisture, meaning that their presence could indicate an underlying moisture problem on your property.
  • Ants spread bacteria to food and surfaces.
  • Ants sometimes invade and damage electrical equipment.
  • When nesting in our yard, ants create unsightly nesting mounds that make mowing difficult.

Why do I have an ant problem?

Most ant species can live wherever people do, either inside of our homes or outside in our yards. An ant’s adaptability is what makes them so successful and so difficult to prevent and control. The tiny size of these pests allows them to move in and out of our homes with ease.

When ants live outside near your house, it is common for them to move inside through cracks and spaces they discover when outside foraging for food. Some of their most common entry points are gaps under doors, damaged screens, openings around wires and other utilities, and cracks in the foundation.

Where will I find ants?

You can find ants almost anywhere. Outside, many species like to nest in the damp soil under things like mulch, rocks, fallen trees, tree stumps, and landscaping ties. A few species, like fire ants, prefer to nest in open sunny areas.

When ants move inside to nest after finding reliable food sources or a suitable place to nest, they gravitate to damp areas. Basements, kitchens, and bathrooms often see ant activity. Some of the most common places to find ants congregating include:

  • Near drains
  • Large appliances and utilities
  • Wall voids or under floors
  • Behind cabinets
  • Behind door or window trim
  • Structural wood

How do I get rid of ants?

Protect your home and yard from being overtaken by ants with the help of the experts at Next Generation Pest Control. We know ants and understand the specific species that like to call our California properties home. Our professionals will take the time to get to know you and understand your property’s exact pest control needs.

We will solve your pest problems as safely and effectively as possible through our customized pest control solutions, ridding your property of ants and other common household pests. To learn more about our residential or commercial pest control solutions, reach out and call us today!

How can I prevent ants in the future?

We have put together a list of tips that you can utilize to prevent future problems with ants in your California yard or home.

  • Clean off counters, removing crumbs and sticky debris.
  • Fix leaky pipes, dripping faucets, and clogged overflowing drains that provide the moisture these pests are searching for.
  • Make sure gutters are working to ensure water isn’t pooling around your foundation. 
  • Use dehumidifiers in areas of your house that are typically damp, like basements, crawl spaces, and bathrooms.
  • Keep ants out of the house by taking a close look at your exterior and sealing any openings you discover in your foundation, exterior walls, and around utilities.
  • Place weatherstripping around windows and doors and make sure the screens in doors and windows fit tight.

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