Little Ant Invaders

Ants are such a common pest to our local Brantford residents. Fortunately, most of the ant species in our area pose little threat to us and our homes except for being an annoyance. The most common ant around here are the  pavement ants, citronella ant, crazy ant and Argentine ant. But there is one that can cause havoc on your home. Watch out for the carpenter ant!

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter Ants can become a major problem for you and your home. They like to cause some serious damage. As they are moving through your home, they are excavating wood in order to build their nests. This results in smooth tunnels inside the wood, a lot like termites. These tunnels are a killer to the structural soundness of the wood over time.

The Carpenter Ant prefers wood that has been wet or damaged as a result of leaks. This is why you will find them in damaged windows and door frames, crawlspaces under roofs, sinks and bathtubs.

One colony of Carpenter Ants can have more than 10,000 members! 

There can even be multiple nests inside and outside of your home.

Although these ants first invade your home because of the wet damaged wood they find, they will move on to building their paths through the dry and undamaged wood. As you can see, you need to take control these little guys as soon as possible and rid your house of them.

Contact an eligible exterminator for tips on what baits, spray and products will work for your situation.

Citronella Ant

This ant gets its name from the yellow colour of its body, but also from the citrus smell they give off when they are crushed. If you find these ants inside your home, it is likely that you have a moisture problem accompanied by decaying wood. Outside, their nests are usually in soil that is adjacent to structures, along foundations walls or under rotten wood.

Their tunnels can reach up to three feet in diameter.

Pest control is necessary to rid your location of this pest.

Crazy Ant

These Crazy Ants get their name from the workers habit of running in an erratic, jerky manner when searching for food. They primarily live on insects, either dead or alive, seeds and fruits.

They are usually confined to the indoors because they cannot survive our winters

Argentine Ant

This little ant are dark brown to black in colour. When you crush them, they give off a musty odour. Their colonies can grow to a monumental size. One colony can contain several hundred thousand workers! The Argentine Ant will eat almost anything including sweets, meat, eggs, oils and fats. Like most ants they prefer to live in damp areas. Usually their nests will be found under stones, beneath plants or alongside sidewalks.

Pavement Ant

The Pavement Ant gets its name because of where they live. They like to make nests in or under cracks in pavement. They are dark brown to black in colour. They will forage in trails for distances of up to 30 feet and are known to climb walls. These ants don’t usually pose a health risk but could contaminate your food and so you should take control of them.