Ant Control Cliffwood Beach : Common Types of NJ Ant Species
There is one unannounced house guest that no one wishes to see, but almost everybody gets ants and needs pest control for ants! A recent survey done by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) showed that many kinds of ants are everywhere. The #1 nuisance pest in America was found to be ants according to this study.
With over 700 kinds of ant species in the USA, it's not too difficult to imagine that ants can fast become a source of horror, annoyance and worry for property owners, businesses and homeowners so that a pest control company is needed to correct the situation. Unfortunately, most people don't realize that these critters can also pose health and property risks – from contamination of food to expensive damage of property.
Fortunately, there are various ways to prevent significant infestations of ants from occurring. To stop these uninvited guests from entering your home, remove moisture or water close to the home by fixing leaky hose bibs and other water lines, gutters & downspouts, drain lines and A/C condensate lines. Always be sure to trim tree branches and other plants from the house, as ants many times use this vegetation as highways into homes.
Close attention must always be paid to signs of an infestation and action taken if ants are discovered. Type of ant species must first be determined so the correct course of action. This may be a difficult proposition for in individual with litttle experience in dealing with a major ant infestation. You should call Ozane Termite and Pest Control to assist with the pest problem and use the information here to help identify the ant species:
Carpenter Ants
- Description: Carpenter ants are usually black to reddish black in color and 5/8 inch in size but can vary in size because they are polymorphic.
- Location: This species is located throughout the United States, but is most common in cool, damp climates found in the northern part of the country.
- Living Environment: Carpenter ants do colony building outdoors in various wood sources and many times find their way into buildings through water damaged wood, cracks around doors and windows, or openings in a structure for wires. They will also take advantage of tree limbs and branches touching a structure as a highway into the building.
- Potential Harm: Carpenter ants can do extreme property damage as they excavate through wood to build colonies which is dependent on the number of ant colonies and the length of time they have been infesting a structure.
Odorous House Ants
- Description: Odorous house ants are dark brown to black in color and range in size from 1/16-1/8 inch.
- Location: This species is found in all regions of the United States.
- Living Environment: Typically living for several years, odorous house ants are known to make their homes in exposed soil. They also nest in walls cracks and under floors inside homes.
- Potential Harm: These ants do not pose a public health risk or cause structural damage to buildings, but they can contaminate food and should be avoided. In addition, they give off a rotten coconut-like smell when crushed, which is why they are known as "odorous" ants.
Pavement Ants
- Description: Pavement ants are darkish brown to black in color and are about 1/8 inch long.
- Location: Found everywhere in the United States.
- Living Environment: Pavement ants get their name because of where they like to live and make their nests in or under cracks in pavement. Through openings in the concrete, they can find their way into a structure.
- Potential Harm: These black pavement ants do not pose a public health risk, but they can contaminate food and should be avoided.
Acrobat Ants
- Description: Acrobat ants typically feed on honeydew, a sugary waste excreted by aphids and mealybugs, but they also eat live and dead insects including termite sw armers.
- Location: Found everywhere in the United States
- Living Environment: Outside, most species of acrobat ants nest under rocks or in logs, firewood and trees where wood decay allows them to create tunnels. They also build their nests in abandoned cavities carved out by other insects like termites and carpenter ants.The workers often find a way inside homes by trailing along tree limbs and utility lines, and entering through cracks or holes around window frames, soffits, door thresholds, and other vulnerable spots. Once inside, acrobat ants typically nest in wall voids or wood that has been subjected to high moisture and fungal decay – the same conditions favored by carpenter ants. They have also been known to nest in Styrofoam insulation panels behind siding.
- Potential Harm:
- Acrobat ants may bite when threatened. In some species, workers may emit an unpleasant odor when disturbed. These ants can also pose a risk to properties. Occasionally, acrobat ants will strip the insulation from electrical or telephone wires, which can cause short circuits.