Ants
Ants are the most common insect that invade homes and businesses. There are about twenty species of ants in East Tennessee. For your protection, Russell’s provides services in Maynardville, Tellico, and Friendsville, along with all the cities in the surrounding counties. These ants vary in size and color. They have three body regions: head, thorax, and abdomen. Most are wingless, but the winged ants are sometimes confused with swarming termites.
On the hunt for food, a single ant can lead the way for the entire colony to invade your home.
Odorous House Ant
An odorous house ant is a common pest in east Tennessee. They forage indoors for sweet foods, but will eat foods with high protein content and grease, such as meats and cheese. When crushed, they give off an unpleasant odor that is often compared to rotting fruit.
Inside, these ants usually build their nests near a moisture source such as in wall voids, especially around hot water pipes and heaters, in bathtraps, beneath commodes with leaking seals, in crevices around sinks and cupboards.
Pavement Ants
The pavement ant will eat almost anything, including insects, seeds, honeydew, bread, meats, nuts, and cheese. They can contaminate food and should be avoided. They get their name because they make their nests in or under pavement cracks. Yet, they can infest homes and office buildings.
Outside, the pavement ant typically nests under stones, cracks in pavement, and next to buildings. They enter buildings through cracks in the slab and walls, slab extension joints, and the natural openings of buildings. When they dig out a nest, they typically bring soil up to the surface and pile it up around the entry hole. Although, they are not aggressive, the workers can bite and sting.
Fire Ant
Fire ants get their name from their ability to inflict painful bites and stings. Although they are typically ground-nesting ants, these ants will also nest in areas near the soil for warmth such as fireplace hearths. They will sometimes nest in areas of exposed soil within buildings where there are bath traps.
Fire ants are commonly introduced into new areas through potted or balled shrubs and trees. They can adapt to many climates and conditions in and around their environment. When a colony is exposed to flooding, they will come together and form a huge ball or raft that is able to float on the water until it comes to dry land.
Carpenter Ant
Carpenter ants do not eat wood, but carve out smooth galleries in wood to rear their young. If you stumble upon a midnight procession of large black ants in your bathroom or wake up to find sawdust sprinkled around your furniture, you are probably living with carpenter ants.
They are aptly named because they build their homes in wood. They prefer to infest wood that has been damaged by moisture; however, they will also infest in healthy wood. As they carve their galleries, they leave telltale sawdust shavings. If you see them or their wood shavings in your home, it may indicate that you have a moisture problem or leak.
Acrobat Ant
Acrobat ants typically nest in wood with a high moisture content and fungal decay, similar to the carpenter ants’ wood preferences. They also like to nest in styrofoam insulation panels behind siding and in wall voids. Outside most of these ants nest under rocks, logs, firewood, or trees where decay allows them to tunnel under the bark and into the wood.
Mealybugs are this ant’s first choice of food. They also feed on live and dead insects. Indoors they show a preference for sweets and high-protein foods such as meats. When the ants are disturbed or alarmed, they tend to rear their backend over their mid-section as a defense. Worker ants tend to be quite aggressive. They are quick to bite and give off a replusive odor.
Prevention tips for ants:
- Eliminate sources of moisture or standing water.
- Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house or facility.
- Seal cracks and small openings along the foundation of your home.
- Keep firewood and building materials stored at least 20 feet from your home.
- Keep trash containers clean and sealed, both indoors and out.
- Screen windows and doors.
- Keep sprinkler heads a minimum of 2 feet away from the home’s foundation.
- Screen vents and openings to chimneys.
- Seal cracks and holes on the outside of your home.
- Make sure your AC drip line discharges at least 2 feet away from the foundation.
- Keep the crawl space and the basement clear of wood debris and excess moisture.
- Install door sweeps on exterior doors and repair damaged screens.
- Replace water-damaged wood and eliminate wood to soil contacts.
- Remove dead stumps within 50 feet of the house.
Contact Russell’s Pest Control with any concerns or questions on the critters you see inside or around your home.
