Types of Ants

Standard Plan Ant s

Premium Plan Ants: 

All About The Ants

Ants have actually turned out to be the principal pest infesting homes in the past few years and are quite difficult to control. Effective control of ant infestations takes some skill that is gained through knowledge of ant behaviors and experience in dealing with ants.

Ant Identification

Ants have turned out to be the primary pest infesting homes in the past few years and they are quite difficult to control. Successful control of ant infestations requires some skill that is attained through an understanding of ant behaviors and experience in dealing with ants..

With well over seven-hundred species in the United States, ant identification is definitely a challenge. Start by looking for ant trails. Ants very rarely travel solo and are usually noticed when they're searching as a colony alongside paths which have been well established. When you've found a trail, view the sizes of the ants. Do they seem identical or do they vary in size? Also observe when the ants are active. Or they active in day or night? Try to find nests at the end trails. The ants will litteraly take you to their nesting location. Soil nests have distinguishable shapes or patterns based on the ant

Facts About Ants

Here are some interesting facts about ants:

  • Killing ants can be difficult
  • Ants farm aphids
  • United States aquire new ants from over seas
  • Ants live a complex structured life
  • There has been over 10,000 ant species identified...maybe more

Ant Behavior

Ants live a complex life with a social casting order. They have a pecking order; Workers, soldiers, queens.  Each has a role they have to play for the success of the ant kingdom.

  • Workers are responsible for gathering food, building the nest and watching over the young and reproductives. 
  • In the reproductive resides the queen and a group called the swarmers. The Queen job is to lay eggs night and day. The swarmers leave the nest to search for new kingdoms to start new colonies.  Mating is usually high during swarm seaseon As soon as they mate...they die.  The queen will set up a colony site and begin the process of growing the site after her wings are shed.

Ants go through a metamorphous stage, which means the egg will hatch and begin at larvae.  The workers are responsible for caring for the larvae.  Soon after, the larvae will turn into or pupate into the adult reproductives are workers. The process starts over by producing the swarmers who venture out, mate, and find new colonies. 

How Long Ants Live

Ants can live long but it depends on the caste of the ant. Remember males mate and die. Male life span is short.  Workers are the ants that take care of nesting and food, and care of the young.  The workers live for only a few month.  Queen ant, the main focus of the ants colony can live up to decades if the conditions is favorable.  Ants work year long in climates that is tropical. In areas that are cooler, like Kansas City, they survive our harsh winter by going dormmate (dormacy)  or what is called diapause.

Ant Control

The first thing you need to know is knowing what ant species you are dealing with.  Identification is the first step before attempting to eliminate ants. Some ants take bait to the nest while others will not touch the bait. Pharaoh ants is one that likes the bait treat. The easiest way to get rid of ants is to follow them home (colony) and treat the colony with the appropriate bait. 

To get rid of ants, it is important to identify the ant species before attempting ant control. Some ant species, like Pharaoh ants, can be controlled using baits, while others cannot. To get rid of ants successfully, it is usually necessary to follow them back to their colony and treat the colony directly.  

Truly Green Pest Control pest control technicians can identify your ants and knock them out on the first or second try!