How do you tell the difference between an ant out for a walk and an ant on a food mission? The speed? The direction? Whether he walks alone or in company? The honest answer – you can’t. You may have you’ve stumbled upon on an innocent ant far from his hive, but you can never be too careful. Back up your suspicions and check off the following list of indicators that Ant-Solo has a large cabal of mates nearby – you’ll soon know if you need to research how to get rid of ants inside based off these four things.
Where do Ants Live?
Before we go further, however, let’s quickly recap the places you should expect to find ants – every creature has a natural habitat and your backyard happens to be one of them for many insects and crawling arthropods, including ants.
Ants form large collectives called colonies, although these groups range drastically in number depending the species of ant and where they’re located. They make their homes in hollow spaces, preferring gutted tree stumps or underground tunnels outside or inside the walls and roof voids of human-made buildings. They’ve also been known to hang out behind baseboards, moldings and countertops.
Ants. Lots of Ants.
Even if they’re not inside, a bump in ant population may be all the indication you need that a problem is imminent, if an infestation hasn’t already started. You won’t have to go far to find these busy little buggers in the yard – how many do you see? Are there ten or twenty, or are they covering every blade of grass? Inside, be mindful of your kitchen, dining and bin areas as potential activity hot-spots.
Ant Highways
Paths leading to and from your building are a red flag, announcing to those who know what they’re looking at that ants have established a colony nearby, probably within your walls. Paths or highways happen when a worker ant leaves a pheromone trail for his buddies to follow, similar to an air-traffic controller waving a pair of neon batons in the air – they will follow the scent to find food.
Ant Nests
Outside ant mounds, or nests, are usually located underground. Entry points look like a small mound of sand, soil or dirt with a minor depression in the middle. Inside nests are much more difficult to locate – they often haven’t seen the light of day since the dry-waller finished up during the original build.
Your Pets Have to Battle Ants for their Meal
Exposed food is like a homing beacon for most ants and nothing says come eat me to an ant quite like a bowl of cat food or dog biscuits. If a safe indoor spray isn’t cutting it, and your favourite furry friend is getting a mouthful of black ants with each bite, it is time to call in the professionals. Ideally, it shouldn’t get to this point, but it’s never too late to book a professional treatment!
Canberra Pest Control have been curbing ant colonies for over 40 years. Reach out today and speak to one of our experienced technicians about the most effective ant-busting solution for your situation.