Ants Most Commonly Nest Outside, But Are Seen Indoors When They Search For Food
As well as being a general nuisance, ants also post a health risk. David Fielder, Territory Business Development Manager at Envu spoke to our customer, Phil Proud of First Choice Termite and Pest Control to hear about his experience of controlling an infestation of Black House Ants in a home with Maxforce® Quantum Liquid Ant Bait.
There are many species of indoor ants that invade our homes and they come in all different sizes and colours. When one ant finds food or water, it will lay down a chemical trail that guides other worker ants to the source and you will see trails of ants going back and forth from the food or water.
Ants most commonly nest outside, underneath paths, in rockeries and other cracks and crevices but can also find their way inside and nest in wall voids and sub-floor areas. If outdoors, the colonies are often built close to the home and are hidden in the soil or under objects on the ground. These ants are seen indoors when they search for food to take back to the colony.
As well as being a general nuisance, ants may produce a health risk. There are known instances of ants mechanically carrying, on their bodies or in their digestive tract, disease organisms causing dysentery, and a variety of pathogenic bacteria, including salmonella.
As ants commonly scavenge in kitchens and other food handling areas, as well as in rubbish bins, dog excrement and other possible sources of disease organisms, their potential for transmitting diseases to humans should not be ignored.
Recently, I was onsite visiting a customer, Phil Proud from First Choice Termite and Pest Control. He was treating a large infestation of Black House Ants in a home. Phil said that “Good hygiene is the key! Eliminate the food source that attract the ants, like those exposed food scraps in the rubbish bin. The food scraps should be in a bag and tied off!”
Instead, the scraps were in an open rubbish bin under the sink and the ants had taken a real liking to it.
Phil said “There was a colony of ants leading from the scraps in the bin all the way out to the back of the cupboard under the sink and outside via the water pipes.”
Phil went to his tool bag and took out a tube of Maxforce® Quantum Liquid Ant Bait and commenced to place small drops either side of the foraging ants as far back as he could reach. Within minutes the ants had started to feed on the ant bait. Phil said he loved the fact that Maxforce Quantum was palatable and so effective against both sugar and protein feeding ants. He also liked the fact that the ants, through natural foraging and trophallaxis would transfer the active ingredient back to the nest.
In the knowledge that the nest would now be eliminated within approximately 7 -14 days, Phil grabbed his caulking gun and sealed the area around the water pipes outside where the ants had gained access to the house.
Effective control of ants often relies on a knowledge of their foraging and nesting habits. More specifically, where a given infestation is being treated, a thorough survey and inspection should be carried out. By following trails, particularly those of workers loaded with food, the location of the nest may be determined.
To find out more information, reach out to our team.
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