Ants are tiny little insects that are found nearly anywhere in the world. They are typically a nuisance that intrude into homes and businesses or even lounging on the grass. Primarily, ants are social insects that have a queen, soldiers and worker castes. They all have their duties in the colony and their abilities to adapt and prosper are actually somewhat inspiring. With so many different ant species in the world, it is hard to avoid these little pests all together. In Texas, the most common species of ants in the area include carpenter ants, odorous house ants, and pavement ants. Today, we at A Five Star Termite & Pest Control would like to share some basic information regarding these three common in species found in our borders.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are among the most devastating ant to have infesting your home or business. They prefer damp, old wood to nest in. Like termites, the damage they do is rather extensive and the wood they excavate is left weak, which costs people millions of dollars a year to repair. Unlike termites, however, carpenter ants do not eat the wood they nest in, but only tunnel through the wood to make a nest more practical for their needs and accommodate the members.
Carpenter ants are among the largest species of ants in the Unites States. They are typically black but depending on the species, the color ranges from red, brown, yellow, orange, or red and black coloration and can reach up to ½ inch length.
Odorous House Ants
Odorous ants are so named due to the repulsive odor, that resembles rotten coconut, that emit when they are crushed. These typically brown colored ants range in size from 1/20th of an inch to 1/8th of an inch long. They have a fondness for crumbs left out by people and as a result their weakness can have them easily spotted in kitchens and picnic locations or anywhere they can find a convenient food source. As little opportunists, they nest indoors and outdoors. Inside their nests can be found near heaters and water pipes in the wall crevices, under carpets and other flooring and behind paneling. These ants often intrude into buildings to escape the rain. Outdoors odorous ants will build shallow nests in the soil under debris, mulch, logs, and rocks.
Pavement Ants
As their name implies, pavement ants engineer their nests under pavement. They are generally found under paved surfaces or in the cracks and crevices of sidewalks and other paved surfaces. These ants are also known to invade homes and structures as they initially nest in the cement slab foundation and work their way inside. Pavement ants are commonly a dark reddish-brown to black color and will measure up to 1/8 inch long. Their diet includes meats, grease, live and dead insects, seeds and honeydew from aphids, but they do favor the greasy varieties left from human choices.
Ant Inspections, Exclusion, Control, Removal, Management & More in Canyon Lake, Spring Branch, Bulverde, Timberwood Park, Leon Valley, Alamo Heights, New Braunfels, Selma, Live Oak, Converse, Universal City, Cibolo, Seguin, New Berlin, St Hedwig, Adkins, La Vernia, Elmendorf, Losoya, Von Ormy, Macdona & San Antonio, Texas
No matter what kind of ant species you have invading your home or business, call in the experts of A Five Star Termite & Pest Control today and let our professionals can eliminate the infestation efficiently.
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