Minnesota Ant Pest Control
Ants are considered to be one of the most successful insects on earth. With over ten thousand different species of ants, they are highly adaptable creatures that are extremely difficult to control once they have infested an area. Considered pests around the home due to their tendency to feed on and contaminate human food, create ugly mounds in lawns and infest and cause damage to structures.
Some species of ant can inflict painful bites and stings. No species of ant feeds on or attacks fabrics, wood or leather, but depending on the species (particularly Carpenter ants) can cause as much or more damage to wood than a colony of termites.
Ant Identification
Ants can be identified from other insects largely because they have a narrow waist and have one or two joints between the thorax and the abdomen. Winged reproductive ants have four wings, the first pair being a good deal larger than the second. There may be some difficulty in determining whether your infestation is a termite or ant colony (termites are often called “white ants”). The following are distinctions between winged ants and winged termites:
Prevention and Ant Control
Prevention is truly the best line of defense against the infestation of any pest insect. A thorough inspection of a home and yard can reveal potential infestation problems and possible solutions for the infestation.
Cleanliness is most definitely the best tool in the prevention approach. Any food or food particles are a major attraction to ants. Cleaning up quickly and storing food in air tight containers is critical. It is also important to seek out and repair any moisture problems in the home. Check for condensation problems and leaks and have them rectified as quickly as possible.
Indoors, ants will nest in walls, behind baseboards and beneath the foundation of the house. Carpenters ants in particular will especially seek out decaying or moist wood and create galleries for nesting purposes. Smaller ant species can fit through the smallest cracks and holes in order to gain access to a home.
What you need is an exterminator who will locate the nest location(s) and eliminate all the ants. Pest control experts are able to tell the difference in ant species, which means they require different treatments. Also, they are well trained in locating their nesting location and terminating the colony in a timely manner, of course using a nontoxic organic product line.
