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Keeping ants out of your home or business might seem impossible. They’re tiny bugs that go where the food goes, which means they love to live in human dwellings – and they’re very good at hiding. Even the tiniest gap in your defenses or the smallest crumb of food left out in the open could let in a full-fledged infestation before you even realize you have a problem.
Luckily, the pros at Assured Environments are here to help with the best ant control services you’ll find anywhere in New York. Read on to learn more about our services, as well as what you can do to reduce your risk of developing an ant problem.
New York Ants – Identification and Facts
There are over 12,000 described species of ants, but while there are several thousand species, their anatomies do consist of the same general characteristics.
Size: Ants range between 3/100 of an inch and 2 inches in length and have bodies that consist of three sections: the head, thorax, and abdomen.
Color: Most ants are black or red.
Behavior and Diet
Ants eat a wide variety of food. In the wild, they usually consume dead insects, dead animals, plants and pest species. They’re also attracted to certain food debris like sweets, grease, fats, cake, fruit juice, syrups, eggs, sugar, honey, meat and pet food.
Larvae serve an important purpose in the ant colony: adult ants cannot eat solid foods, but larvae can process solids into liquids. When fed, the larvae will regurgitate its food into the “social stomach” so the adult ants can feed when necessary.
Scientific Information
Scientific Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Ants are social insects with 3 distinct castes: workers, queens and males. Queens live the longest – anywhere from 1-30 years – and the colony will survive through her lifetime. The workers will generally live 1-3 years, while the males have the shortest lives, sometimes only a few weeks.
Most ants mate in swarms (with some exceptions). These swarms tend to happen during the warmer months of the year – between spring and fall – at which time winged males, followed by the winged reproductive females leave their colony’s nest and go out to mate. The females will follow a pheromone emitted by the male.
Common Types of Ants
Carpenter Ant
Size: ¼ -1/2 inch (3.5-13mm)
Color: Black. Sometimes yellowish or reddish.
Characteristics: Burrows in damp, decaying wood.
European Fire Ant
Size: 3/16 inch (2-5mm)
Color: Red, copper or brown with darker head
Characteristics: Tiny. Two nodes at waist with backward spines. Most fire ants are found in the south. The European Fire Ant is a hardier version found with greater frequency in New England.
Little Black Ant
Size: workers 1/8 inch (2-3mm), queens 1/5 inch (4-5mm)
Color: Black
Characteristics: Common variety. Follow trails between nest, food and water.
Flying Ants
Size: varies but larger than non-winged ants. Up to 15mm
Color: Varies by species. Black, red, brown.
Characteristics: Flying ants are not a species of ant. All ant species produce fliers. They are the “alates” or queens and males whose sole purpose is reproduction. Often seen in mating swarms on warm humid days.
Ants are a common nuisance, often finding their way into properties in search of food and water. For property management, this poses a unique challenge. At Assured Environments, we offer effective solutions to keep your properties ant-free. Here you will find DIY suggestions for clients looking for alternate options.
Ant Control and Prevention
Signs of an Ant Infestation
The most common signs of an ant infestation is… seeing live ants. That aside, they also leave behind visible ant pathways and nests that look like small piles of soil, garbage, or dirt.
The best way to get rid of ants is to keep them from entering your building (or your office) in the first place. To do that, you should prevent ants from accessing the things that attract them. Throw away or store uneaten foods, repair dripping faucets or leaks, and re-seal around window and door frames.
If you find ants in your building, try to follow them back to their nest. Attempt to destroy the nest and the entire colony, including the queen. Most ant colonies form outside, even if the ants themselves travel inside for food and shelter.
If all else fails, contact the experts at Assured environments. We offer professional ant control in NYC and beyond.
Other characteristics
Ants have a pair of strong jaws, known as mandibles, which are helpful in carrying food, defense, and manipulating or moving objects for survival or social needs.
Every ant has six legs with hooked claws. These claws are useful in hanging or climbing.
There are a number of more common ant subspecies. Those include carpenter ants (larger than other ants, black, common in the Northeast), pharaoh ants (very small, light tan), pavement ants (brown or black with pale legs, small), odorous ants (brown or black, very smelly), and red imported fire ants (red, with larger than usual queens).
Dealing With an Ant Infestation? Call Assured Environments
Ant problems are all too common in New York. If you notice these industrious little insects in your property, you will benefit from a visit from our team. We can clear up your current infestation and help prevent it from coming back.
Give us a call to get started with a free inspection!