MONTEREY BAY
PEST CONTROL INC.
LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED
Argentine ants are known to travel. From their original home along the Paraná River in South America Argentine ants have traveled to six continents. They are nomadic by nature and with their traveling behavior these ants have developed quite the impressive network of colonies.
This network of colonies is enabled partially due to how their colonies are constructed. Their colonies are built in a shallow fashion when compared to other types of ant and are located only a few inches beneath the ground.
The other key factor that enables the Argentine ant to travel is the fact they keep more than one queen present in a colony. When a colony has too many queens, that queen moves on. She takes worker ants with her and establishes a satellite colony. Eventually this colony will produce multiple queens, and they will continue to spread.
What's worse than an ant that can travel easily and reproduce rapidly? Argentine ants are incredibly aggressive. While they aren't venomous, they have been known to bite people.
Argentine ants also seek to drive out native species of ants. Many species of ants use secretions produced from their gaster to communicate - this leads to the ant trails that are so readily recognizable.
However Argentine ants take this behavior a step further and will use these secretions to confuse and disorient competing ants. This behavior gives Argentine ants the upper hand in ant conflicts.
The Argentine ant loves sugar. Any spill of a sticky, sweet substance will bring them running. Though they will harvest greasy, protein rich foods to bring back to the colony.
Argentine ants love sugar so much that they will farm aphids. Aphids consume nectar and excrete a substance known as honeydew. The ants find honeydew to be especially delicious and will protect the aphids while they eat. They will then harvest the honey dew and bring it back to their colony.
This means that if you see an influx of Argentine ants, you don't only have to worry about keeping spills contained; you will also want to keep an eye out for concentrations of aphids nearby your home.
You may think ants would be attracted to your home based on the food you have inside, but you would miss their primary motivation. Argentine ants are happy to extend their colonies without interfering with your life. However, when the weather turns sour the Argentine ant's preservation instinct kicks in. Issues such as drought or excessive rainfall send these ants marching straight for your home.
Argentine ants are small, which enables them to slip into your home through the tiniest of cracks. You'll quickly find them slipping in through windows and door frames.
Argentine ants are small and able to fit through the tiniest cracks and crevices. To deter these ants from invading your home you will have to be diligent in identifying any cracks or crevices that allow the ants to gain access to your home and seal them. Barrier sprays are one of the most effective ways to deter the Argentine ant.
A pest control expert is another key to defending against the Argentine ant. They will be able to carefully evaluate how the ants are invading your home and select deterrents for your specific situation.
If you find yourself at the mercy of this crafty ant, reach out and contact Monterey Bay Pest Control Inc.
Phone:
Mailing Address:
PO Box 810 Seaside, CA 93955
Two addresses to serve you better:
Monterey Bay Pest Control
1997 Del Monte Blvd. Seaside, CA 93955
Monterey Bay Pest Control
4041 Soquel Dr. Ste 320
Soquel, CA 95073