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Pest control ants

Pest control for ants - Get rid of ants fast!

Ants are tiny in size, but they can be a huge nuisance in and around the home as they search for food and shelter. Although they are generally considered beneficial, several species contaminate food, damage structures, bite or sting. Sort out your ant problem today and contact Solid Hygiene Solutions!

Ants in the home

Although ants in the home are a huge source of annoyance, the most common ant species; the Garden Ant, is not thought to carry disease. However, considering that ants frequently travel through unsanitary areas before they end up on your countertops, you should take steps to get rid of ants at the first sign of an ant problem and keep these pests away from your family, pets and food.

Types of ant problems

There are many different ant species, but the most common ants in the home are:

  • Garden Ants– Also referred to as black ants. The worker ants are 4-5mm in length, but the Queen can be as big as 15mm! Nests are typically in soil, but can be in brickwork or under bark. Garden Ants are attracted to sweet foods and leave a pheromone trail back to their nests for other ants to follow to the food source, which is how these ants can be a nuisance in the home.
  • Pharoah’s Ants– Worker ants are 1.5 -2mm in length, and the Queen is 4 - 6mm in size. These ants are yellow-brown in colour. Pharoah’s Ants originate from the tropics and require artificial heat in order to survive and reproduce. An ant infestation therefore usually takes place in heated buildings such as hospitals, hotels and blocks of flats. The Pharoah’s Ant’s diet consists largely of decomposing foodstuffs and it carries harmful germs, picked up from where it has been feeding.
  • Red Fire Ants - Worker ants are 3mm in length, with the Queen reaching 6mm in size. These ants are reddish brown in colour and live in colonies of up to 100,000 or more ants! Each ant colony is led by a Queen who lays between 150 and 200 eggs per day. Fire ants build mounds of up to 60cm high to live in and these are usually built in open, sunny spaces. Fire ants sting both animals and humans and their sting is extremely painful.

Ant treatment

Usually ants nest outdoors but sometimes they build nests in wall cavities, under houses and in roofs. Woodpiles, paved areas, water features and pebble beds are also ant friendly, providing ants with food, water and shelter. Ants have even been found to build nests in computers! The best way to prevent ants from invading your home is to locate and destroy their nest.

Ant treatment requires an internal and external perimeter treatment of your premises, including window sills, door frames, immediate surrounding paving, under pot plants. This creates a barrier effect. Treatment is a combination of barrier “spray/drenching” of perimeter, plus the use of ant bait granules or gel in difficult “hotspot” areas. The ants carry the ant bait back to the nest, where the queen ant feeds on it, affecting the reproduction cycle thereafter. Ant treatment is normally a once off with a follow-up if necessary.

If you have an ant problem contact Solid Hygiene Solutions today!

Ant Facts

Ant Facts

  • Ants are social insects and live in colonies.
  • Usually there are 3 distinct castes: workers, queens and males. Some species also have “soldiers”.
  • Ants are one of the more difficult household pests to control.
  • Nests are mainly outdoors
  • Damage to dwellings from ants is caused over a long period of time through soil removal from paving, walls, foundations etc.
  • Different foodstuffs may attract different species of ant.