You can almost hear their annoying ants marching along with military-like trails and each individual carrying its own weight and a piece of sweet food! They work together in enviable fashion, to do what they do best: Annoy householders and residents. There are many different ant species with in different sizes, colours and shapes, and with varying types of problems. Some of them are often regarded as nuisance pests in houses and around buildings. But they may present many health risks also. There are known instances of ants mechanically carrying, on their bodies or in their digestive tract, disease organisms. They may seem as small harmless insects, but they are very ant control dangerous and troublesome. It is advised to control and remove them as soon as possible by a professional pest controller. What is worse, they are competent masters of disguise. Sometimes they are mistaken as termites. In the spring and summer (from October to March in Melbourne), swarms of both ants and termites can appear somewhat similar to the untrained eye. It is very important professional pest technicians thoroughly educate and properly arm themselves against ants.
Ants are recognised as one of the most important enemies in pest management world, however, not all of them are causing problems to humans and properties. In Australia, the most-prevalent pest ants include:
- Acrobat ants (Creatogaster spp.);
- ARGENTINE ants (Linepithema humile, Mayr);
- Carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.);
- Crazy ants (Paratrechina longicornis, Latreille);
- Little black ants (Monomorium minimum, Buckley);
- Pavement ants (Tetramorium caespitum, L.);
- Odorous house ants, or OHA (Tapinoma sessile, Say);
- Pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis, L.); and
- Yellow large, or citronella, ants (Lasius spp.).
Effective ants control often relies on having proper knowledge of their foraging and nesting habits. At the broad level, knowledge of the nesting habits and feeding habits of important pest species can be helpful. More specifically, where a given infestation is being treated, like ants control, a thorough survey and inspection should be carried out. By following ant trails, the location of the nest, either approximately or precisely, may be determined. Direct treatment of the nest, where possible, can provide the most effective, long-term ant control results. Alternatively use of chemical barriers that interfere between the nest and possible food sources is often effective ant control solution.
In summary, ant control often relies on:
- A thorough inspection and survey/analysis of activity patterns
- Direct treatment of nests where possible for an effective ant control
- Formation of insecticidal barriers between nests and food sources and/or the placement of baits in appropriate locations for ant control
- The adaptation of high levels of sanitation and hygiene to prevent ant problems
