Ant Infestation Information
Ants,
like Silverfish and the common moth, present very little hazard or danger to
human health. That said, however, no one likes the idea of sharing their home
with any welcome pest, harmless ant or otherwise.
As
the warmer months of spring give way to the hotter temperatures of summer, you
could find a colony of ants has taken up residence in the most inconvenient of
places - your porch for example, or place so close to your property that before
you know it, you have an orderly line of marching ants in your home on the
search for sugar rich food.
The 2
types of ant in the UK
There
are hundreds, if not thousands of different species and sub-species of ant.
Some deliver a nasty sting, whilst others a paralysing bite. Fortunately, these
types of ants are by no means common or present in the UK; the ones on our
shores tend to be nothing more than a nuisance, but in big numbers.
However,
there is one thing common to all ants, regardless of whether they are the
gentle insects in the UK or not - they all seek and need warmth. When the cold
British winter hits, ants retreat to the warmth of underground where they stay until
spring. Popping their head out in December would mean instant death.
In
the UK, the two common ants are the black or garden ant, and Pharaoh’s ant. Out
of the two, Pharaoh’s ant is the one that scuttles about over food waste and
so, hence when you see these marching across your work surfaces, you need to be
rid as soon as possible.
·
The black or common garden ant
Two
to 12mm in length, the worker ants tend to be on the small size, with only the
queen ant reaching 12mm in length. The workers are lighter brown in colour,
with the queen being a regal, dark brown. Nesting outdoors, garden ant colonies
can often be found under patios, in garden walls and so.
They
are constantly searching for supplies of food and water to feed the ever
expanding colony. This search often takes them into domestic dwellings but, in
the main, they require little control until they start to become a nuisance
indoors.
In
the colony there is only 1 queen that reproduces around 5,000 ants in her
lifetime; not many people realise that this queen can live up to 12 years. From
egg to ant takes 50 to 70 days.
·
Pharaoh’s Ant
These
ants are smaller, with the workers being between 1.5mm and 2mm and a
yellow/brown in colour. The queens tend to be larger, measuring anything from
3.6mm to 5mm in length, and are dark red in colour. Despite being winged
insects, they do not fly and have three distinct parts that make up their body.
Enjoying
warm, humid conditions, these ants have a habit of invading buildings, and can
commonly be found in apartment blocks, hospitals, and food handling premises
and so on.
These
ants do not live in one large colony as such, but have ‘satellite’ colonies
that foraging workers establish in order for the brood to mature and then
search for food. With a lifecycle up to 45 days, these workers never stops
foraging.
The
queen is far more fertile in her early years, laying batches of eggs constantly
through her lifetime but, as she ages, the amount of eggs laid per batch begin
to decrease.
