Ants are one of the most invasive insects in South Florida and the number one call for pest control services in the region. There are about 12,000 ant species worldwide but only 40 species are considered urban pests in the United States.
Every ant that invades our homes comes from the outside. That means that if you’re experiencing an infestation in your home, even if you kill all the ones inside, you still could come under infestation again if you don’t take care of the outside. Once the ants are eliminated from the inside of the structure, regularly scheduled maintenance of the exterior will keep ants out of your home for good.
Some ant species become so established with multiple queens inside the structure that they stop trailing outside. When that happens, it is very challenging to get the colony under control. Any pest control company can spray the foundation of your home and hope for the best, but only the most experienced exterminators can eliminate an active ant infestation once they’ve become established inside your home.
The first step to successfully controlling ants is to do a proper inspection of all ant-conducive areas inside and outside of your home. Insects need three things to survive: water, food, and harborage (a nesting spot). Inside a home, the kitchen is probably the number one conducive area, followed by the bathrooms. Look inside the cabinets, under the sink, garbage, behind the microwave, stove, and dishwasher for ant trails.
On the home’s exterior, there are several places you should check out for signs of ant presence:
Bases of walls, gutters, and downspouts.
Around the edge of walkways, trees, and shrubs.
Around piles of firewood and yard debris.
Around leaky pipes.
Near utility and electrical boxes.
Under stones and rocks.
Also, look for honeydew-producing insects such as aphids and mealy bugs. Honeydew is a high source of carbohydrates for ants, making it highly attractive for ants and a key place to look for when inspecting.
Once you’ve inspected your home for ants, the second step is to identify the ant species that are invading your home. As there is no uniform treatment when it comes to the control of ants, this is best left to a professional service. As pest control professionals we have access to an array of products and tools to control ants. Knowing how to and where to apply these products is the difference between a true professional and an amateur. Proper identification of the ants will determine what products to use: dusts, gels, liquid insecticides, or granular baits. GOTBUGSIKILL technicians know exactly how to use them to get the job done.
Tips To Prevent Ants in Boca Raton
If you’re worried about ants getting into your home, here are some helpful preventive steps you can take to mitigate your risk for infestation as much as possible:
Seal cracks and holes.
Trim branches that touch the structure.
Control honeydew producing insects.
Remove landscape material or vegetation that can be used as nesting grounds.
Remove old lumber or firewood.
Fix leaky pipes and remove standing water.
Clean out gutters and downspouts.
Store food and pet food in tight containers.
Keep countertops clean. Pull oven out and clean food debris.
Clean spills.
Properly store garbage and take out often. Keep trash cans clean.
Mow lawn and keep growth low.
Remove ripe fruit from trees and on the ground.
While none of these tips can fully prevent ants from getting into your home with 100% certainty, they will certainly help to reduce the chances.
Common Ants in Boca Raton
Ghost Ants (commonly known as Sugar Ants)
Small ant, 1/16” long
Abdomen and legs pale in color
Nests are located in cavities or voids with thousands of workers and several queens
Workers are attracted to sweets including honeydew
They are found trailing to areas of high moisture such as sinks, showers, and potted plants
Gel baits work well to control
Whitefooted Ants
About 1/8” long.
Black color body with whitish legs.
Massive colony size up to 3 million individuals.
50% are reproductive.
They nest in moist environments, under rocks, compost, mulch, wall voids, and attics.
They forage during the day and night.
Feed on sweets and honeydew.
Feed on dead insects for proteins.
Follow foraging trails back to the nest and treat directly.
Seal entry points.
Bigheaded Ants
Dimorphic species. Major workers are 3-4 mm long. Minor are small 2 mm long.
Major workers, soldiers, have a large head and constitute 1% of the population.
Color range from yellowish to reddish.
Colonies range from 300 to 3,000 individuals.
Multi-queened colonies.
Omnivorous ant. Feed on insects, sweets, and honeydew.
Build foraging tunnels on the soil and underground.
Prefer to build nests in tree trunks and under rocks.
Make mounds in open areas.
Pharaoh Ants
One of the hardest ants to control. Major pests in residential and commercial establishments.
One queen and a few workers form new nests when budding from the original nest.
Adults are 1/16” long.
Yellowish to reddish in color.
Nest in inaccessible areas such as voids.
Attracted to sweet and fatty foods.
Forage during the day and the night.
Repellent insecticides make the situation worst by fracturing the colony into several colonies.
Crazy Ants
Monomorphic workers 1/16” to 1/8” long.
Dark brown to black in color.
Legs very long in relation to the body size.
Colonies are up to 2,000 workers and a few queens.
New colonies are created by budding.
Erratic behavior, thus the name crazy ant.
Feed primarily on sweets such as fruit and honeydew. For proteins, they go for dead or live insects.
Seal electrical and utility lines.
Pyramid Ant
Ant forms a crater around the entrance of the nest.
Adults are 1.5-3mm long.
Pyramid ants nest in open sunny areas and under objects.
They rarely forage inside structures.
They are fond of honeydew and tend for insects that produce it.
They are carnivorous and feed on live and dead insects.
Easy to control by treating the nest with an insecticide.
Why Call GOTBUGSIKILL for Ant Treatment in Boca Raton
The beautiful warm weather of South Florida means that pests are active year-round and always looking for harborage. Your home offers protection, food, and water for the colony to thrive. Doing your own pest control for ants is a never-ending battle. Customers usually resort to over-the-counter products to deal with ants just to find out that they never fully treat the problem.
At GOTBUGSIKILL, our technicians are highly trained to identify the ants invading your home in the South Florida area and implement the right ant control protocols to eradicate them for good. Keep your home bug-free with quality pest control in Boca Raton. With GOTBGUSIKILL, we kill you chill.
