Ant Control in St Petersburg
Well, this current mixture of hot weather and rain is causing ants to come inside more frequently than any other time of the year. The ants start with only one. Then before you know it, there are dozens making their way into your living space. Now that these bugs have taken up residence in your home, we will help by discussing Ant Control in St Petersburg. There are many different types of ants living all around us. For this article, we will discuss just a handful.
Ant Control in St Petersburg – Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants live both inside and outside mostly in moist decaying or hollowed-out wood. These ants will nest near windows, roof eaves, tree stumps, behind old palm fronds, holes in trees, voids, etc. They prefer to nest in areas that get routine moisture. Contrary to popular belief, these ants do not sting. However, they have been known to bite to protect their nest. Also, in Florida, they are not considered a Wood Destroying Organism.
The Florida Carpenter is generally nocturnal. Their busiest foraging times are just before sunset and just before sunrise. If the ants are seen during the day, it will usually be for two reasons. First, the nest is disturbed, so the nest is being moved. This is easily noticeable by the cocoons the ants are carrying. Second, these ants are active during the day because the nest is too large to feed at night. So, they must forage for food all day long.
These ants will trail to a structure from wire/cables that are touching it. Also, they will use any trees or plants as a bridge to and from the building.
These ants are attracted to sweets. They will forage to spilled soda, candy left behind, or any other sweet foods. Also, they are fond of sweet floral nectar and honeydews produced by sucking insects, such as aphids. Carpenter ants will also seek out other insects, both living and dead, for food.
Control is obtained by locating the nesting sites. You will find then nesting under landscape timber, in knotholes of trees, behind palm fronds, and they will also be found in gutters filled with leaf debris.
Fire Ants
These little pests usually nest in the ground. Large colonies of fire ants can have up to two hundred and fifty thousand workers. Fire ants are omnivorous as well. This means that they can eat meats, sweet materials, and even the greasiest cheeseburger. It’s really easy to end up with a problem on your hand through a mistake you or someone else has made. They can also eat insects, earthworms, ticks, and spiders so you can end up with an infestation naturally. They also consume any carrion.
The worst part about the ant is their aggressive nature. When these things bite, they mean it. The fire ant uses their crushing mandibles to grab hold of their prey and then inject them with venom through their stingers. These stings can even prove to be fatal to some humans and are painful for all. Their sting is venomous, and is highly irritating and result in red bumps with white puss. They’ll attack anything that comes too close, be it you, your family, or your pets.
The basics of keeping the fire ant out of your home are similar to keeping out most common pests. Cleanliness is a virtue, and so is making sure to fix up any dripping and leaky pipes. These ants are easily found by locating their mounds around your home. Control is obtained by treating the mounds directly
Ant Control in St Petersburg – Ghost Ants
These are a pest that I’ve had to deal with myself. Ghost ants are extremely small and pale in color, which makes them hard for you to see. Workers are all the same size, and these ants can be distinguished from other ants by a few characteristics.
They’re very small like I said and hard to see. Their head and thorax are dark in color, while their abdomen and legs are pale and white. They’re also hairless and have no sting. Ghost ants emit a foul odor when crushed.
Ghost ants enter buildings on trails that they make along the ground. They also enter houses by trailing on utility lines or tree limbs and shrubs that touch the house. When ghost ants make nests indoors, it is usually inside wall voids or behind cabinets and baseboards. They will also build nests in flowerpots or other moist areas.
The key to their control is bait only. If the nests are sprayed, the spray will cause the nests to spread throughout the structure.
Super Colony Ants
These types of ants cover different species. Super Colony Ants are any ant that has the potential to have a massive nest.
Super Colony Ant Life Cycle
These ant colonies can become quite large. Winged males and winged females emerge every year from the colony. They mate while flying and once on the ground, females start a new nest. The new queen lays eggs that hatch into larvae. The larvae grow and become pupae. As pupae, final development occurs to produce the adult ants. In ant colonies, the eggs, larvae, and pupae are known as the brood. The new queen takes care of the brood and colony, and over time, the number of ants in the colony increases. Eventually, the workers replace the wingless queen. The worker also can form more colonies by budding. In this process, they leave the old colony with some of their nestmates and brood to create a new nest.
What Do Super Colony Ants Eat?
These ants are often found foraging along branches and trunks of trees and shrubs. They feed on plant nectars and honeydew, a sweet substance produced by insects such as aphids, mealybugs, and scale insects. Ants are known to protect honeydew-producing insects from attack by other insects. Also, the Argentine Ant and white-footed ants are strongly attracted to sweet foods. They also eat dead insects and other types of protein.
Nestmates are brought to food sources by foragers who lay chemical trails. In and on structures, foragers tend to follow lines such as an edge of an outside wall panel. Frequently, they find their way inside wall voids, where they follow electrical cables and emerge into various rooms, especially kitchens and bathrooms. In these places, the ants find liquid and solid foods resulting in a heavy trailing activity.
Where Do Super Colony Ants Nest?
The nest is at or above ground level. They do not nest in soil. A single colony may have nests in many locations. It is almost impossible to tell one colony from another because different colonies will be connected to each other. These ants prefer nest sites that are near moisture and food sources and protected from predators and extreme heat. Nests tend to be found outside of structures more than inside.
Outdoor Super Colony Ant nests are often found:
- in tree holes or on the underside of leaves.
- on bushes.
- under palm fronds and old leaf roots.
- in the loose mulch.
- under debris such as newspaper, fallen coconuts, scrap wood, etc.
- in leaf-litter on the ground and in rain gutters.
Ant Control in St Petersburg
Well, as you can see, we live in an area that has so many ants living around us. Some of these ants will come inside. At times you can attempt pest control on your own. However, should your infestation become out of control, or you need help with treatment. It is best to call an exterminator. I would recommend Earth’s Best Natural Pest Management, www.insectfree.com or 1-800-634-1313. They are Ant Specialists. As a result, they know how to get rid of ants.
