It’s summertime again in Brandon Florida. In fact, it’s not just summertime. It’s the hottest summer on record. Between that and constant rain, you have bugs coming inside and spreading outside more than ever. So today, we’ll talk about one of the most common bugs that create problems in our area. Let’s touch on a little bit of Brandon Ant Control.
Brandon Ant Control– Fire ants
Alright, normally I would start with something a little less severe. But let’s be realistic, if you’re here you probably have a fire ant problem. They’re aggressive, spread quickly, create huge mounds, and aren’t even native to Florida. So let’s get into them before anything else.
How to identify a fire ant
Multiple species of fire ant exist, but the most impactful is the invasive Red Imported Fire ant. These ants come from South America and are used to an environment so extreme and competitive that they’ve essentially taken over native ant species in the Southeast U.S. The queen and workers of this species have a reddish-brown head and thorax with a black behind, though there may be slight variations in color.
Male swarmers are entirely black, and you likely won’t see them often. Fire ants can be easily distinguished from other ants by their two-segmented pedicel. In short, it appears like two bumps on the waist of the ant between the thorax and abdomen. They also lack any spines and have distinct 10 segmented antennae with a two segmented club at the end of each.
Where will you find fire ants?
Fire ants will build their nests in almost any place they need to. Wall voids, under your porch, in sheds, piles of wood, etc. However, they are typically ground nesting ants and will build their mounds in any kind of soil. They prefer sunny locations on lawns, fields, and pastures. Fire ant mounds can reach two feet across and are nearly the same in height. They also tend to build nests and mounds near driveways and sidewalks that absorb and give off heat.
A lack of mounds doesn’t mean that there aren’t fire ants around, however. Fire ants create elaborate tunnel systems that can cross multiple properties in the right conditions and exit with a discreet hole in the ground. Sometimes, during floods and heavy rains, you can see the fire ants forming living rafts that drift until they reach a landing spot such as a tree or your house. It’s not uncommon for ants to go indoors to look for food.
A large fire ant colony can reach numbers of two hundred thousand aggressive, constantly toiling worker ants. Thankfully, the average is “only” around eighty thousand ants.
Will fire ants infest your home?
Fire ants prefer meat. That’s the long and short of out. High protein means more energy means more ants. They love insects, young tree bark, seeds, and oily meat and nuts. They’ll also swarm over corpses or finish off dying animals. And fire ants can get inside the home just as easily as any other ant. They may create nests and put them close to cracks in your foundation. HVAC units can also become tunnels to the inside for ants around your house.
So make sure to take constant tours of the outside. Florida is a state that gets hammered with the brutal heat and yearly flooding. So, it’s safe to assume that the weathering and erosion will create a few gaps around your home. Make sure to keep the rubber liners around your windows and under your doors in good condition. Also, caulk up any holes that lead from directly outside to inside of your home. This includes around water pipes that feed into your house.
And stay alert. A single fire ant sting on its own isn’t fatal. But these ants have a tendency to swarm in great numbers. Cases of young children being severely injured by fire ants aren’t uncommon, and neither are allergies to their alkaline venom. When an ant bites you, it will sting repeatedly with the barbed stinger at the end of its behind. So expect to get a full load of venom every time you find one attached to yourself.
And be sure to keep an eye out when walking pets around mounds. It doesn’t take much for an animal to stumble in and ants to swarm throughout their fur.
Brandon Ant Control – Other species and what to do if infested
Now, let’s touch quickly on two species of ant that I’ve personally had trouble with. One was the minuscule ghost ant. They’re tiny ants, with dark heads and thoraxes and clear bodies that are almost translucent. In fact, they’re hard to see at a glance. These ants are also known as the black headed ant, and constructor their nests indoors in places such as cracks, cabinets, books, and wall voids. These ants excrete an unpleasant rotten coconut smell when crushed.
And you also have the carpenter ant. Swarmers of this species have four wings and are dramatic fliers. Carpenter ants prefer damp and moist wood and construct their nests in hollow trees, logs, posts, landscaping timbers, and wood used in homes and human structures. A heavy infestation of these guys can indicate a moisture issue within your home, as they nest nearly exclusively in damp wood. And although they aren’t termites, these are wood destroying pests and should be dealt with quickly upon discovery. They rarely bite and aren’t quite as dangerous to a human as a fire ant, their burrowing activity can lead to the weakening of your home’s structure.
And finally, what to do if you have an infestation. The long and short of it? Call a pro. Feel free to contact us at 1-800-634-1313 or visit us online for a consultation. These pests are far too vast in number for a layman to deal with. And using chemical pesticides without training is a recipe for disaster. Leave this to a natural pest control pro, and one that’s local and has been in service for many years.
