Ants are creatures that can enter our houses without our permission in large numbers. There are many ways to get rid of ants but what really works? Sometimes ants can enter your kitchen and invade your sugary treats. Otherwise, they can seek refuge in your wardrobe and eat away your clothes. Notice any small holes in your expensive clothes? It is because of ants. There are also many types of ants. It is important to know what type of ant you are dealing with to discourage its invasion. Here you can find the details about the types of ants and different types of ants. Then you can keep your house clean and free of ants.
How to identify the types of ants?
You can start by identifying the types of ants in your home. Know about their nesting habits and also get the idea of where they are living. Sometimes they may be nesting outdoors and enter your house to get food. You can take a photo of the ant and send it to the local university extension service near your area. They will tell you what type of ant it is. They will give you fact sheets about the different types of ants. Also, they will offer you advice on how to get rid of it. In this way, you can say bye to the ant army that tries to enter your home for shelter.
Here know about some types of ants that can come to your house.
1. Carpenter ants
The carpenter ants are commonly found near human settlements. They do not eat wood as many people think but they can damage it. They create tunnels inside the wood and nest inside it. They live as large colonies. You can see them in your garden, on the deck and more. These ants are tiny in size but they can lead to damages in structure. That is why it is important to stop their invasion soon. These types of ants are more active after dusk. The favourite foods of the ants are sugar and protein. But they will eat anything from human food to pet food.
2. Pavement ants
If you see a line of tiny ants in your home and mostly in the kitchen they are known as pavement ants. They are also called sugar ants. They are small in stature and black in colour. The pavement ants are known as such because they build homes on the pavement of houses. Then they eat anything they find inside the home such as small scraps of food, pet food and more. If let carelessly these ants can fully invade the kitchen.
3. Fire ants
The fire ants are commonly found in Southern states throughout the U.S. Their bodies are small and they are in dull red or red-brown. Also, they have a stinger on the back section of their abdomen. That is why many do not like these ants. Their bite is extremely painful. That is why they got this name. Further, the fire ants also like to invade. They first came to the USA from South America in the 1930s. After that, the ant population has boomed and they are available in large numbers now.
4. Argentine ants
The Argentine ants are available throughout the US. They like to live in urban areas. These ants are light or dark brown. They are 2.2-2.8 mm long. The ants are great builders as they build elaborate nests. Also, they use fibrous materials like wood, debris, mulch or cavities.
5. Harvester ants
The harvester types of ants are one of the largest breeds in California. They have red, dark brown bodies. Also, they have square heads and spineless bodies. The outdoor harvester ants can destroy the vegetation in the circular area in their colonies or nests. You can notice some bare patches of lawn in the nest.
Steps to get rid of ants
a. Find the ant nest
One solution to get rid of ants is to get rid of their nest. If you have carpenter ants in your home then they will be nesting in wood furniture or other types of wood material in your home. They will nest in that areas and damage them. Finding the nest is not an easy task. But there is a way to find them. Ants usually like to live in damp places. Some of the areas like bathrooms, under the kitchen sink, attic are their favourite places to live. They build a nest in these places. So try to track down the ant nest in these areas.
b. Erase the ant trail
If you see one and then there will be others as well. This is because ants leave a scented trail and other ants follow it. They work as a community to build a nest so they are dependent on each other to navigate. So it is not enough to sweep or mop the floor because the scent will not be gone. Instead, you can use 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water in a spray can. This will remove the scent and stop the ants from entering the house. Then you can kill the ants that entered your house easily with insect repellents.
c. Remove the ant colonies
After you have set toxic bait for ants you can expect lots of ants to come. It means the ants have fallen prey to the bait. Then they will go to their colonies and spread the toxic chemical to the other ants as well. One of the best bait to get rid of the ants is the liquid toxic bait. The ants that love sweet will get easily stuck in it. But for other types of ants, you can use solid bait. After two weeks you can replace the bait containers. If it is not working you have to find the nest and try to destroy it.
d. Killing ants in the yard
The anthills can ruin the beauty of your yard. That is why it has to be removed. If you have ants in a certain area you can treat the area with outdoor insecticide. The liquid or granules work to get rid of ants. But for large scale ant problems in the yard, you have to mow the lawn. Then you have to spray the insecticide in the yard. You may have to do it repeatedly at various periods to remove the ant invasion.
Conclusion
After knowing about the types of ants you will know how to remove them from the vicinity of your house. Send the ants back to where they belong by following the points here.
Also read: How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies?
