Pest Control for Ants

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah!

Ants belong to Family Formicidae within Order Hymenoptera - the group of insects that includes ants, bees, sawflies and wood wasps. In Australia, about 3,000 species of ants are known. Ants are social insects that live in more or less permanent nests. Colony sizes vary enormously and are mostly located in soil, wood and among rocks.

It is not uncommon to see a few ants in your kitchen every now and then, although when you notice a trail of ants, you may have a situation that requires professional attention. As the weather starts to warm up, the ants come out and start to explore in search of food and water to collect and store for the cooler seasons. They are super skilled in finding the smallest crumbs in your kitchen and once they have found a food source, they will form pathways to the food source by laying down pheromone trails, potentially leading hundreds of other ants into your home. Naturally, this can quickly develop into an ant infestation. We have all experienced ants in our homes and can appreciate the nuisance it brings with it.

Ant control

Effective control of ants often relies on a knowledge of their forging and nesting habits. At a broad level, a knowledge of the nesting habits and feeding habits of important pest species can be helpful. More specifically, where a given infestation is being treated, a thorough survey and inspection should be carried out. By following trails - particularly, where possible, those of workers loaded with food - the location of the nest either approximately or precisely, may be determined. Direct treatment of the nest, where possible, can provide the most effective control. Alternatively, the use of chemical barriers that interfere between the nest and possible food sources is often effective.

Ants of common occurrence

Small brown ants:

Argentine ant (Linepithema humile)
Coastal brown ant (Pheidole megacephala)
Pharoh's ant (Monomorium pharaonis)
Odorous ant (Tapinoma minutum)
Singapore ant (Monomorium destructor)
Brown house ant (Doleromyrma darwiniana)

Small black ants:

Whitefooted house ant (Technomyrmex albipes)
Black house ant (Ochetellus spp.)

Larger and miscellaneous ants:

Carpender ants (Camponotus spp.)
Greenhead ants (Rhytidoponera spp.)
Meat ants (Iridommyrex spp.)
Jumper ants (Promyrmecia spp.)
Bulldog ants (Myrmecia spp.)

Different species of ants exhibit different nesting and feeding habits. Several species of ants are omnivorous scavengers, consuming a wide range of animal or plant products. It is these scavengers that have most successfully exploited people's dwellings.

Preventing ants from entering your home

While there are products that you can purchase at your hardware store to help prevent ants from entering your home, the most effective approach is maintaining good hygiene and sanitation practices, such as:

Attend to any food or liquid spills immediately and clean them up thoroughly.
Regularly wipe down food preparation surfaces.
Cleaning any spilled pet food and their bowl once your pet has finished eating.
Store your food products in airtight containers or zip lock bags.
Avoid leaving leftover food out.
Ensure your kitchen bin is clean and free from food particles or liquid.
Seal off any cracks and crevices around windows, doors, pipes and wire entry points.

Implementing and maintaining these tips may avoid an ant infestation all together. They are also good practices to avoid other pest infestations in your home, particularity German Cockroaches.

When to seek professional assistance for any control

Ant infestations can develop without much warning if any at all and can be quite challenging to manage with the products available at your hardware store. Sighting a few ants here and there is likely something you can address on your own, but if you are often dealing with swarms of ants each year as soon as the weather warms up, then you may need to consider professional assistance. Eviktus is ready and equipped to help you manage your ant invasion.

Eviktus' approach to addressing an ant situation

Conduct a thorough inspection to identify the species of ant and assess the extent of the infestation. This will inform our treatment methods.
Provide an immediate report on the severity of the infestation and advise on suitable treatment options.
Develop a treatment strategy tailored to your unique home and situation.
Implement the treatment strategy to provide you with efficient and effective relief from the ants.
Deliver a comprehensive report in accordance with applicable Federal and State and Territory legislative requirements.
Follow up with any recommended routine services that you may choose to receive from Eviktus.

If you have any questions or would like further information related to this content, please don't hesitate to reach out and a friendly Eviktus representative will be happy to assist you.