California winters often mean invasion season by Argentine Ants. Argentine ants are most active during winter season and in California they are extremely aggressive invaders. They are aggressive towards other species of ants and termites. Animal Pest Management Services, Inc will share how to identify and control Argentine Ants if you find yourself under invasion from this aggressive ant species.
Argentine Ant Identification
Argentine ants are an average sized ant species that are willing to attack larger ants and even fire ants to defend their territory. Argentine Ants are brown in color and can range from light to very dark brown. One way specialists identify Argentine Ants is by their antennae which has 12 segments. Argentine ants are also easily identified by their behavior.
Where Do Argentine Ants Live & What Do They Eat?
Since their arrival Argentine ants have displaced native ant species. They are one of the most troublesome ant species that have been known to invade homes. Argentine ants like moist climates and love to build their nest under the foundation of homes. They will use cracks in the foundation to enter homes. Argentine ants are active all year long but when temperatures cool down, they will invade homes. They are sensitive to the cooler weather and prefer to forage indoors. When Argentine ants invade it can be a serious problem. Argentine ants often host multiple queens which mean they reproduce very quickly. They are drawn to decaying plant matter and waste. This means they are one of the few ant species that can spread diseases. Argentine ants will eat just about anything. However, they do love sweet and sugary foods.
How to Prevent Argentine Ants
To help reduce or event prevent Argentine Ants, seal away all of your home goods. Avoid leaving a fruit or snack bowl out in the open. Pantry foods should also be sealed away in air tight containers to help seal in the scent and keep the ants out. Make sure you use high quality containers. Some containers don’t completely seal and ants can crawl inside the containers. Make sure to wash your dishes and clean up crumbs quickly. Additionally, ants do require water, so make sure all of the plumbing inside as well as outside your home doesn’t leak or drip. A single drop is plenty of water for a few dozen ants.
Ant Pest Inspections, Control, Removal & More in San Bernardino, Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside & San Diego Counties, California
Argentine ants can be very difficult to control once they invade. If you find this winter season you have Argentine ants invading your home, contact Animal Pest Management Services, Inc. We provide quality pest control and wildlife trapping and removal services. To schedule our services contact Animal Pest Management Services, Inc today.
