The weather outside is wonderful. It’s a great change from the cold, wintry weather that we’ve had in recent weeks. March is a great time in our weather patterns. Sometimes it can be really cold, and sometimes it can be mild summers warm. But as the seasons begin to change, so do our pest control needs. Many of the winter pests, such as rodents and other insects looking for a warm home inside, start to fade. Beginning in the spring time, we’re starting to see spring and summer pests start to arrive. One of the biggest spring pests that we have to deal with are ants. Taking care of these critters in and around your home is very important. This article will deal with the ins and outs of dealing with ants in and around your home or business.
SEASONAL ANTS
Ants are most commonly seen in the spring. They start to come out of their colonies as the weather warms. They are no longer wintering and are in a search of more food. The queen will begin to lay eggs at a much more rapid pace, and the workers will forage. Because of this, they will be seeking out new sources of food. In the very beginning, most plants have not begun to produce nectar or fruit. Because of this, these insects will have to forge much further from their colonies searching for the food that they need. In many cases, this will lead them to places they shouldn’t be, such as indoors. Our homes have plenty of food and other supplies that they find very profitable to explore. There are even ants that will find a place to build colonies within our homes.
OUTDOOR ANTS
Outdoor ants are usually only in our homes to forage for food. They will create colonies in our yards and in the pavement outside of our house. There are many different species of ants that we find outside. In suburban areas, we will find pavement ants, pharaoh ants, and carpenter ants in plenty. Ants like these will seek only to find food for their nest. They will stumble indoors from time to time, and if they find something they will continue to come and go retrieving food to bring back to the colony. The best Tulsa pest control company will have more information.
Because of this it’s very important that we keep sanitation to an all time high during the spring months. Making sure food is off the floor, soda cans are not laying around or any unclean dishes are out make our homes less than inviting for ants. These invaders love to find nooks and crannies in in the exterior the house that they can break through into our homes. Any crack or small hole will do.
GOING INDOOR
In Oklahoma, the most common indoor species is the odorous house ant. The odorous house ant is called that because, if you crush the ant and smell what’s left, it has a distinct odor. This odor is often described as a rotten coconut smell. It’s very distinct and easily determined. These ants are small and can be somewhat plenteous once they find a way to build a colony in your home. Dealing with interior ants such as the odorous house ant can be somewhat tricky. These creatures have the unique ability to splinter. The act of splintering is when a group of worker ants are separated from their colony. When this happens, and they cannot get back to their original colony, they will start a brand new colony. One of the workers will become the queen, and the other workers will help her build a brand new colony.
This means that if you use a repellent type pesticide, like most of the pesticides that you get at a hardware store, its very likely that you will cause the colonies to splinter. If this has happened, you will have taken one colony and split it into two, doubling your problem. Because of this it’s important that if you find yourself an ants in your home, you need to call a Tulsa exterminator to help you out with it. They have the perfect pesticides they can deal with these insects in a way that will not allow them to splinter.
ANTS THAT BITE
There are many different kinds of ants that bite. The most common of these ants are fire ants. In Oklahoma, we actually have two types of fire ants. We have the native fire ant, and the imported fire ant. The imported fire ant is obviously an invasive species that has come from South America. Non native fire ants have done a lot to push the native fire ants out of our state. It’s important to know which one you’re dealing with if you were having fire ant issues in your yard. The native fire ant is quickly becoming an endangered species. Because of this it’s important that they be dealt with in a way that causes the least damage to their populations.
But if they are a pest, they must be eliminated. The invasive fire ants create mounds all over open fields in Oklahoma. They are quickly over running our fields and causing problems with cattle, people and other animals all over the state. If you’re having an issue with any kind of fire ant, it’s important that you contact your Broken Arrow exterminator for help. These fire ants do bite and their bite is painful. If you pose any kind of threat to these insects, including knocking over a mound or standing in a place they consider as their‘s, they will attack and bite profusely.
ELIMINATING THESE INSECTS FOR GOOD
If you’re having an issue with ants or any other pests it’s time to get some professional help. You’ll need to call a Broken Arrow pest control company that you can trust. Here at TermMax Pest Control, we are that company. We service the greater Tulsa area including Turley, Sapulpa, Sand Springs, Prattville, Jenks, Bixby, Broken Arrow, Owasso, Coweta, Claremore, Catoosa and much, much more. Call today for a free estimate. We are here to help!