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Males and queen ants are produced at certain times of the year and these are the winged individuals, the so-called flying ants, which are common on thundery days in summer. The workers are about 2-5mm in length, almost exclusively black or black/brown in colour although the bases of the antennae, the tarsi, and the leg joints have a yellowish colour. The presumptive queens and males are larger in body size, 6.6-10mm and 3.5-4.7mm respectively, again prominently black but on emergence from the nest they have wings.
Ant societies are centred upon a complex nest that arises after the mated queen has established a smaller starter nest beneath the soil. The queen ant rears the first brood of larvae within the nest. These larvae mature then pupate to form the first cohort of worker ants. The colony then grows rapidly with the queen continuing to lay eggs which are tended and fed by the workers. The ants feed on nectar, seeds and small insects, aphid and coccid honeydew etc, and the nests can remain viable for many years.
The only indigenous British species that commonly enters houses. L. niger is the most common ant in Britain. Nests are typically found in soil but may be under paving stones and concrete. When ants have nested indoors, infestations may cause problems at any time of the year. In such circumstances, their nests are usually found in the insulation layer below a property. The garden ant can pose a real problem as a nuisance pest. During foraging, workers may be found in domestic and industrial premises searching for sugary food sources. The mating swarms can also be a short-term nuisance.
Pest Control Wirral specialise in the control of ants. Contact Pest Control Wirral and we can provide a free ant control quotation and advise on the best way to deter ants from your property in the future.
Accessibility to the nests may be restricted and yet this is the key to gaining control of the infestation. Following trails of the worker ants back to the nest should help to locate their position. Gel baits are now available for black garden ants. These rely on the worker ants picking up the bait and taking it back to the nest to feed the queen. Therefore baits should not be used in conjunction with residual sprays.
Baits are best placed where the ants are foraging – in and around nest entrances, adjacent to ant trails and in the cracks and crevices between paving slabs, concrete foundations etc. Alternatively, residual insecticidal treatments can be applied in or around the nest. Barriers of insecticide can also be utilised around strategic points on the property to prevent foraging workers gaining access. Good hygiene so as to reduce attraction for ants is also important.
At Pest Control Wirral we have an expert pest control team to offer immediate assistance if you find mice or rats at your property or if you are infested with wasps, ants or flies in your home or garden. Located on the Wirral, we cover the whole of Merseyside, Birkenhead, Ellesmere Port, Wallasey, Bebington, Heswall, Hoylake and West Kirby.
Pest Control Wirral
149 Higher Bebington Road, CH63 2PN
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