Ants

How Do I Know If I’ve Got A Problem?

These pests are very easy to spot, ie they are visible to the naked eye.  Tell tale signs of an infestation is piles of really fine sand normally found round the skirting boards or exterior perimeters.  Although they reside outside, the sign that they have entered is the pile of sand on the exterior wall/floor junction.

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

This pest is a seasonal pest and normally enter your premises during warmer weather.  Unless your property is prone to this pest, the main reason is the quest for sugary substances to digest.  If you are prone then early treatment is recommended.

• Make sure that worktops and floors in the kitchen area are kept clean.
• Store foods in sealed containers.
• Ensure food recyclable bins are emptied and washed out regularly.

Other Information

The pharaoh ant is a small (2 mm) yellow or light brown, almost transparent ant notorious for being a major indoor nuisance pest, especially in hospitals. The pharaoh ant, whose origins are unknown, has now been introduced to virtually every area of the world.. It is a major pest in the UK.

This species is polygynous, meaning each colony contains many queens, leading to unique caste interactions and colony dynamics. This also allows the colony to fragment into bud colonies quickly.

Pharaoh ants are a tropical species, but they thrive in buildings almost anywhere, even in temperate regions provided central heating is present.

The black garden ant, also known as the common black ant, is monogynous, meaning colonies contain a single queen.

Their colonies can reach in size up to around 40,000 workers in rare cases, but 4,000–7,000 is around average. The queen can live up to 15 years and it has been claimed that some have lived for 30 years. The queens in the early stages of founding can have two to three other queens in the nest. They will tolerate each other until the first workers come, then it is most likely they will fight until one queen remains.