LEARN MORE ABOUT ANTS

Ant Information & Biology

Ants are social insects that live in colonies and are divided into three main castes: workers, queens, and males. Ants pass through four stages of development: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. 

Workers: The workers have no wings and are the largest caste group. Their job is to tend to the queen, eggs and young, expand and repair the nest, forage for food and defend the colony. 

Queen: Some ant species have one queen (monogyne) while others have multiple queens (polygyne.) Ant queens are the focal point of the colony and are defended aggressively by the workers. They are born with large wings which she will remove after mating. Queens have a large abdomen that can expand for egg production.

Males: Male reproductive ants also have large wings and larger bodies than worker ants. Males wander around the nest most of the time and do not contribute to any duties except waiting to mate with a female. Males do not survive very long after mating.

Common Ants Found In Local Homes

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Carpenter Ant Description:

• Can be exceptionally difficult to control requiring multiple treatment techniques and services.
• Most common species in the Northeast is the Black Carpenter Ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) but they may also be red, brown or a mix of all of the colors.
• Carpenter ants are polymorphic which means they can range in size depending on what their role is in the colony. Just because some might be small doesn't mean they're not carpenter ants.
• Prefer moist wood (i.e. leaking windows, where porches or decks meet the house, damp basements, etc.) to set up satellite nests. These satellite nests will be used for egg storage and food storage while the main colony often still exists outside.
• They eat the same types of food we do (proteins, sugars, etc) and although they don't eat wood like termites do, their damage can be just as significant.
• As they carve out their "galleries" in the wood, they clean out the resulting sawdust, often times mixing it with body parts from dead ants of the colony.
• Can easily overwinter inside of a home if their nest is given ample time to mature and secure a weather-proof area to protect themselves.
• Carpenter ants are active year-round and can be found both indoors and outside.
  

Control Advice:

Carpenter Ants can be hard to control. These ants generally have a parent and several satellite colonies. In the spring, be sure to remove any wood and decaying vegetation from the foundation of the property. Remove nesting sites such as tree stumps and dead limbs. Seal up any leaks or cracks and make sure rain gutters are directed away from the home.

Our Solution:

Carpenter Ant control begins with a thorough inspection of your property to identify nesting sites, satellite areas and favorable conditions causing their infestation. In the last few years advances in pest control technology including Carpenter Ant treatments have led to better bait products as well as undetectable liquid products. These newer and more efficient treatments allow Carpenter Ants to introduce these insecticides to other colony members by normal contact and food exchange, thus controlling the entire population. 

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(a.k.a. Sugar Ant or House Ant)

Pavement ants get their name because they typically make their nests in or under cracks in pavement, however they occasionally infest structures. Pavement ants were introduced from Europe by the early colonists. 

• Each individual colony contains thousands of workers and multiple queens.
• Pavement ants are the most common small ant invading homes in New England.
• Pavement ants will occasionally nest in walls, inside any type of insulation, and under floors. These nests are usually near walls of the foundation and close to a heat source in colder months. They may enter through utility pipes into the structure.
• In a heated structure winged reproductives (flying ants) may emerge anytime of the year but Pavement ants typically swarm in the spring and summer.
• They will happily consume a wide range of human foods, including meats, breads, fruits, seeds, cheese and grease.
• Pavement ants do not cause structural damage.
• Ranging in size from 1/16 of an inch to 1/8 of an inch long, pavement ants range in color from brown or black. They have paler legs and antennae.

Control Advice:

Preventing pavement ants can be difficult, but along with obtaining pest control services there are some things you can do around your home to help prevent them including:

• Clean dirty dishes often and avoid leaving them in the sink overnight or for any extended period of time.
• Keep counters and floors clear of food debris and spills
• Try not to keep pet food out all day and avoid putting pet dishes near foundation walls or near heat sources.

Our Solution:

Pavement Ant control begins with a thorough inspection of your property to identify nesting sites, satellite areas and favorable conditions causing their infestation. In the last few years advances in pest control technology including Pavement Ant treatments have led to better bait products as well as undetectable liquid products. These newer and more efficient treatments allow Pavement Ants to introduce these insecticides to other colony members by normal contact and food exchange, thus controlling the entire population.