Argentine Ants
|
ARGENTINE ANT - commonly called army ants due to their marching out from the nest in straight lines, black ants, or sugar ants. It is a severe pest in the Southern States and in California and also from some of the more northern areas. This ant does not sting but it can bite severely. In heavy infestation areas it can be found in just about every home.
Biology - Workers are 2.2 to 2.8 mm long and are light to dark brown in color. Queens are much larger as usual and are 4-6 mm long. Oddly each nest has many fertile queens which live in harmony with each other. They mate inside the nest so winged reproductives are not normally seen as with other species like the Fire Ant. The winged male's role is simply to mate with the queen and is promptly discarded from the nest afterwards.
Nests and Habits: Their nests need moisture so they are built usually in the soil, next to buildings and along sidewalks, beneath boards and plants, and under buildings, and are usually close to a good supply of food and water. This ant prefers sweet foods such as sugars, syrup, fruit juices, secretions of plants and honeydew from aphids, scale insects and other insects, which they actually herd and protect for their secretions. They forage for food along regular paths extending out from the nest and they also branch out to explore an entire area. They will enter homes in large numbers especially when it is too dry or too wet outside for them to live comfortably. They tolerate humans and their habitats easily and are very aggressive. They will actually drive out and eliminate all other ants in their area, except maybe a different Argentine ant colony.
Control - To really control ants one of the most important steps is to improve sanitation. Try to clean up any spills and crumbs to limit their food. Also, cut back any tree limbs or bushes away from the structure because they will use these as bridges to your home or structure. The best control for ants is bait and there are several to choose from. Maxforce and Niban granular baits are very good baits for ants and other insects, Advance Dual Choice Ant Bait Stations, Drax Dual Ant Bait Syringe, and Gourmet Ant Gel Bait are excellent for ants indoors and for placement where wires and cables attach to the structure. Another great choice is Termidor, a newer chemical that works differently. It's applied outside along the foundation and around any other entry point such as doors, windows, vents, pipes, and especially the joint where any siding meets the foundation and the ants walk right on through it because it is non repellent so they don't even know it's there. It gets on them and they take it back to the colony where it gets shared through grooming and contact, thus wiping out the colony. Liquid residual type insecticides and aerosols will also kill ants indoors and out but are usually only a quick fix. You seldom get the colony so the problem usually comes back, but these are good to have on hand when you need that quick kill for instant relief. Some good residual concentrate choices are Onslaught, Talstar Pro, Demand CS, Suspend SC, Demon WP, and Cynoff WP. Some good residual aerosol choices are PT Cy-Kick, PT 221-L, CB Invader, CB Intruder, CB D-Force, and EcoPCO AR-X. All are excellent with long residual activity and should work for weeks depending on conditions such as rainfall, temperature, etc. Always remember to read all chemical labeling before using.
Geographic Location(s): Found throughout the U.S. but especially in the southeast U.S. and out west.
Some online retail products cannot be shipped to all states, most notably
are New York, California, Alaska, Hawaii, Vermont, and Connecticut.
Copyright © 2008 Peachtree Pest Control Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Web Design by Griffin Web Design.
Powered by DASH Systems.
