Fire Ants

General Info

  • Fire ants are usually 1/8 – 1/4 inch long and reddish-brown or black in color
  • Fire ants are limited to the Southern tier of states including the Southwest, but they are expanding

Where They Nest

  •     Fire ants generally build colonies outdoors in dome-shaped mounds that are often 1-2 inches in diameter
  •     They will often kill the grass around their mounds
  •     Not all outdoor mounds are visible – some are built under rocks or wood laying on the ground
  •     When the soil is moist and cool, outdoor colonies are located within a couple of feet of the soil surface – during dry periods colonies may be down 5 or even 10 feet
  •     After a heavy rain, many people observe new colonies – these could be new but often they are just hidden colonies that are being re-opened after wet soil clogs the ant tunnels

What They Want From You

When foraging indoors, fire ants are looking for:

  • Food and moisture (found in the sink, shower, leaky pipes, spills, etc.)
  • They are especially likely to look for water when outside temperatures are hot and the weather is dry

Why They’re A Problem

  •     The presence of carpenter ants can be a sign of water or moisture problems in your roof, gutters, porch, deck, floors, or walls
  •     Large colonies that are left untreated can be as destructive to homes as termites

Tips & Tricks

  •     Search for leaks in and around areas where you see these ants. These leaks/moist areas will need to be repaired/corrected
  •     Remove limbs/shrubs that touch the house, particularly the roof – ants use these contact points to gain access
  •     Remove stumps and dying trees within 50 feet of the house/garage – these are perfect spots for new colonies to start
  •     Store firewood off the bare ground and away from the house
  •     Consider using inorganic mulches (stone, gravels) in areas where you have had problems with ants, or where ground moisture is a re-occurring problem
  •     Inspect older trees carefully for signs of outdoor colonies

Why They’re A Problem

  •     Fire Ants can bite you and your pets, but they also have a stinger on their abdomen that they use to inject venom into anything that disturbs their colony
  •     Their stings can be quite painful and multiple stings may require medical attention
  •     Occasionally, a severe and possibly fatal allergic reaction can occur in some individuals
  •     Fire ants are a persistent problem in the south because they routinely move their colonies into new locations with ample food and moisture

Tips & Tricks

  •     Fire ants build and follow trails – looks for these trails around foundations, baseboards, and other moist areas
  •     Remove debris (wood, rocks, stones) close to the foundation of your home where fire ants may build an invisible colony
  •     Caulk any points where ants enter into wall voids, cracks, and crevices including entry points from the outside

Avoid common mistakes

  •     Consider hiring a professional yard maintenance company to treat fire ants if there are too many mounds to treat yourself, or if there is a medical reason to avoid stings
  •     If you decide to treat your yard yourself, only use EPA-registered products labeled for use on fire ants and read and follow the instructions
  •     Universities commonly recommend using a combination of residual sprays, mound treatments, and baits

Termite

General Info

 

  •     Subterranean termites nest in the soil for moisture and come aboveground for wood
  •     Termites are often confused with swarming ants, but termites have wings which are light in color and much longer than their body
  •     Termites also have a thick waist, whereas ants have more of a thread-like waist

Where They Nest

  •     Subterranean termites nest in the soil for moisture and come aboveground for wood
  •     They will often transverse  open areas using “mud tubes” to protect themselves from dehydration
  •     Drywood termites nest in the wood they eat and can nest in house foundations, rafters, furniture, and even books without going back to the soil for moisture

What They Want From You

  •     Termites enter your home looking for wood to eat and nest in

Why They’re A Problem

  •     By feeding on the wood in your home termites can cause very expensive damage and destruction to structural and decorative wood

Tips & Tricks

  •     Keep firewood, lumber, and stumps away from the foundation of your home
  •     Routinely check sheds, decks, porches, and wooden fencing for damage – you may have termites if the wood sounds hollow when tapped
  •     A common warning sign of an active termite infestation is small mud tubes on the exterior of wooden beams, walls, and cinder blocks
  •     If you suspect you have a termite infestation call a reputable pest control expert for an inspection and quote

 

Nuisance Ant

General Info

 

  •     There are many species of Nuisance ants that invade our homes – they come in all different sizes and colors
  •     Some species names are Pharaoh, Argentine, Pavement, and Odorous house ant
  •     When one ant finds food or water they will lay down a chemical trail that guides other worker ants to the source – you will see trails of ants going back and forth from the food or water

Where They Nest

  •     Household nuisance ants build their colony both indoors (in wall voids or under flooring) and outdoors
  •     If outdoors, the colonies are often built close to the home and are hidden in the soil or under objects on the ground

What They Want From You

  •     These ants are seen indoors when they search for food to bring back to the colony
  •     They are known to eat many different types of food, and they can even change their food preferences during the year

Why They’re A Problem

  •     Nuisance ants can infest and contaminate your food

Tips & Tricks

Cleaning and tidiness is the key! Eliminate food, water, and other things that attract ants:

  •     Remove food spills and exposed food
  •     Store food in sealed containers
  •     Dry out bathtubs and sinks after use
  •     Rinse glass, metal, plastic, and paper food containers before recycling/throwing them out
  •     Clean all kitchen surfaces and vacuum spilled dried food often
  •     Avoid leaving dirty dishes in the sink
  •     Keep food out of bedrooms and living rooms
  •     Cover or clean up any pet food that may have spilled from your pet’s dish

Seal up entryways to help keep them out:

  •     Caulk any cracks or crevices where ants can enter your home from outside or neighboring units
  •     Make sure your windows and doors fit tightly
  •     Avoid putting organic mulch next to your foundation, which provides an ideal place for outdoor ants to build their colony and then invade your home
  •     Do not store items like firewood near the home, which provides a convenient outdoor area for ants to live and make a colony

Avoid common mistakes

  •     Continue to treat problem areas even after all ants are gone (others can re-invade)
  •     When using ant baits, do not place them on areas that have been sprayed with an aerosol or liquid insecticide – ants traveling over sprayed areas will die before they have a chance to bring the bait back to the colony

Carpenter Ants

General Info

  •     Carpenter ants gnaw into wood to make or expand their colonies, not to eat wood
  •     These ants have large and powerful jaws and will bite if disturbed
  •     Carpenter ants are found all over the U.S. but are particularly troublesome in the Pacific Northwest

Where They Nest

  •     Carpenter ants commonly build indoor colonies in wall voids, attics, and water-damaged or rotting structural wood
  •     Common outdoor colonies are found in sheds, firewood, deck woods, tree trunks, gutters, and soffits
  •     Look for ants going in and out of a hole with small bits of sawdust around the opening – this is a sign that the colony is nearby

What They Want From You

When seen indoors, they are looking for:

  •     Food in the form of insects which is their main diet
  •     Moisture found in and around the sink, shower, leaky pipes, and spills – these are ideal locations for building new, indoor colonies

Carpenter ants can enter the home:

  •     Via a tree branch or utility lines that are touching part of the home
  •     Through cracks in the foundation, gaps, or openings around windows and doors
  •     On firewood brought inside to burn

Why They’re A Problem

  •     The presence of carpenter ants can be a sign of water or moisture problems in your roof, gutters, porch, deck, floors, or walls
  •     Large colonies that are left untreated can be as destructive to homes as termites

Tips & Tricks

  •     Search for leaks in and around areas where you see these ants. These leaks/moist areas will need to be repaired/corrected
  •     Remove limbs/shrubs that touch the house, particularly the roof – ants use these contact points to gain access
  •     Remove stumps and dying trees within 50 feet of the house/garage – these are perfect spots for new colonies to start
  •     Store firewood off the bare ground and away from the house
  •     Consider using inorganic mulches (stone, gravels) in areas where you have had problems with ants, or where ground moisture is a re-occurring problem
  •     Inspect older trees carefully for signs of outdoor colonies