What You Should Know About Ants

Ants can be found living in every area of the world that humans occupy, except Greenland and Antarctica. Accordingly, they can be turn out to be great pests, especially when they enter your home uninvited. If infestations get out of control and require professional ant extermination near Crystal Lake, enlist the help of a company that specializes in the most advanced pest control treatments available. Before you can determine whether you have a pest problem, you should familiarize yourself with these basic facts about ants:

How to Identify Ants

There are over 10,000 known species of ants. Ants form colonies that are highly efficient and divided into specified groups depending on what they contribute to the colony as a whole. Anatomically, an ant’s body, like all insects, is essentially made up of three sections: the head, the thorax (middle part), and the abdomen. What distinguishes ants from other insects are their elbowed antennae and their small, knob-like structures called petioles that connect their thoraxes to their abdomens and function as waists.

What Ants Do

As social insects, ants live in large colonies. The number of colony members, which can range from a few hundred to a few million, depends on two main factors: the size of a livable area and the available resources to exploit. The queen is responsible for laying eggs and increasing her colony’s population. Drones, or male ants, provide the means for reproduction. Worker ants are tasked with caring for eggs and the young, increasing the size of their nests and foraging. These are the ants you would typically come into contact with. Soldier ants guard the nest against intruders and other threats and possess larger head features like intimidating mandibles.

When to Take Action

When ants infiltrate your living spaces problems arise. The odorous house ant ( Tapinoma sessile ) and the black carpenter ant ( Camponotus pennsylvanicus ) are common pests in the United States. House ants are fairly harmless and usually come into homes when food, specifically sweet food, is accessible. Their presence inside is more annoying than anything else. Carpenter ants, on the other hand, can be of particular concern because they create their nests in wood. Therefore, a large colony could severely damage your home’s wooden joists and studs. If that is the case, you should hire an ant exterminator immediately.

Ant Control Services near McHenry, IL

Call 815-385-9511 for reliable ant extermination services in Northern Illinois.