Ants are a type of insect that can be found all around the world. The live in organized colonies and scientists believe that the ant species is over 100 million years old. Generally ants have an omnivorous diet which consists of fruit, honeydew, seeds and other insects. They have a lifespan of between 45 and 60 days on average but queen ants and certain types of worker ants can live longer. Ants have the capability to lift as much as twenty times their own weight and they are generally between up to half an inch in length.
Colonies generally contain several million ants and each ant has its own designated role. If the colony becomes too big, winged males and females will leave and fly to another location to establish another colony. These ants will mate during flight and once the queen has laid her eggs she sheds her wings. Male ants have a shorter lifespan than females and a queen has the capacity to lay eggs for years and create thousands of ants.
Ant colonies have a very elaborate and organized social structure. The various tasks and activities are divided across the different ants. These roles can usually be illustrated by the color of the ant. Yellow ants are the colony cleaners, while orange ants care for young ants and the eggs produced. There are also ants in shades of green, purple and blue. Ants are very fastidious about keeping their nest clean and they create special chambers to remove their garbage and any dead ants. The queen produces chemicals which informs the worker ants that she is healthy.
Ants have approximately 250,000 brain cells, which makes their brain capacity one of the largest in the insect world. A typical human brain has 10,000 million, which would be the equivalent of a 40,000 strong colony.
Although you may admire the tenacity of the ant, if you find you have a colony within your home or garden, proper ant control is essential to control the problem. There are many products available on the market that promise to deliver relief from an infestation, but ants are very effective at adapting to many methods of ant control. Although they may not appear to be a worrisome form of pest, they can cause significant damage to your home, cause illness and create problems in food preparation areas. There are a number of reasons why domestic ant control products fail to deliver results:
You can’t see the extent of the problem:
The biggest obstacle in managing ant control alone is that it is difficult to see the extent of the problem. There is no way to see into the colony and judge the severity of the problem. If you are seeing ants around your home, this will usually be an indicator of a large infestation which can be difficult to deal with.
Lack of thorough treatment:
The second reason why engaging in your own ant control is generally ineffective is that you simply cannot be thorough enough to eliminate the problem. Some domestic products promise to establish a barrier around your home and prevent the ants from gaining access. However, ant infestations could come from areas which are unaffected, including inside your home.
Difficulty in finding a long term treatment:
Many products can provide immediate help but they fail to deal with the underlying problem which means the ants will continue to reappear. You may experience a week or two without seeing ants but until the colony is dealt with you will continue to see them reappearing.
If you are interested in learning more about ant control or need assistance with an infestation, contact us. We have the experience and expertise to deal with all pest issues including ant control and we would be delighted to help you.
