Category: Termite Control

4 Invasive Ants In South Florida & Why They’re A Problem

Florida has its fair share of pests, and ants are among the most common. Invasive ants are a problem throughout the state, and once they’ve moved into your home or landscaping, they can be difficult to control. Here’s an overview of the four types of invasive ants you’ll find in South Florida, and why they’re such a problem. 

1. Big-Headed Ants

While big-headed ants have long been a problem in Africa and Australia, they’re a recent introduction into Florida’s ecosystem. These reddish-brown ants are easily mistaken for fire ants. Luckily, they don’t have the painful bite of a fire ant, but they can be very difficult to control. You need to eliminate the whole colony, since the population can rebound if even a tiny population survives—that’s why it’s best to leave big-headed ant control to pest control professionals.

2. Carpenter Ants

While carpenter ants won’t eat the wood in your home, they will nest inside any rotten wood they can find. They even take over termite habitats in the home, attacking them, consuming their eggs, and making themselves at home. These ants are large and tend to be most active at night or early morning, and they have a powerful, painful bite, so you should never attempt to deal with a major infestation on your own.

3. Fire Ants

Fire ants are not just a nuisance, they can also be dangerous to people and pets, and they’re unfortunately found throughout the State of Florida—even though they aren’t native. 

Fire ants bite and sting, intentionally swarming to increase the likelihood that they will be able to kill their prey. They range in color from red to brown and almost black, and a single colony can hold up to 40,000 individuals. You should always reach out to pest control experts to deal with a fire ant infestation rather than risking your health.

4. Ghost Ants

Also known as sugar ants, ghost ants are one of the most common pest problems in South Florida. They’re tiny, fast-moving, and nearly transparent, and they often congregate in kitchens and bathrooms. While they may go unnoticed at times, they swarm quickly the moment a crumb appears on the counter or the floor.

Ghost ants are a year-round problem, and they can be very hard to control. While they don’t bite, they can contaminate food in your home. Instead of relying on DIY pest control methods—which rarely work to eradicate the resilient ghost ant—reach out to your local pest control experts at Service Choice to remove the problem once and for all.

Invasive Ants Are a Year-Round Problem for Florida Homeowners

South Florida’s beautiful, unique climate makes it a welcome habitat for some of the state’s most invasive creatures—ants. No matter what type of ant problem you’re dealing with at home, don’t rely on ineffective DIY treatment methods. Instead, call the ant control experts at Service Choice of South Florida to remove an active infestation and ensure it never happens again. Call us today at (954) 568-9955 to schedule your free pest control consultation. 

Most Common Spots in Homes for Ant Infestations – Where to Look & How to Treat

Noticing some unwelcome six-legged visitors in your home? Ants are a year-round problem in South Florida and dealing with an infestation can be a challenging hassle. Before you start treating an ant problem in your home, you need to determine where they’re actually coming from. Read on to learn some of the common spots ants hide inside a home, and how you can treat an ant problem once and for all.

The Kitchen

Most ant infestations center around the kitchen in a home since ants thrive by feeding on spare food and drinking up stagnant water. There’s no better place in a home to find food and water than the kitchen–it’s a favorite hangout for ants of all species. 

You can keep ants out of the kitchen by making sure spills and crumbs are cleaned up quickly. You should also carefully store sweet items like syrup and honey since they’re magnets for ants. Remove any leftover sticky mess from the exterior of containers, and even be sure to keep your trash bins emptied and clean.

The Bathroom

Ants don’t just move inside homes in search of food–they’re also on the hunt for a stable water source. Bathrooms, naturally, are the spaces in a house where excess water and moisture build up. 

Ants race to bathrooms to drink up any pooled water; accidental leaks; and even spilled body wash or shampoo, so you should clean up any standing water after taking a shower or a bath. It’s also smart to mop the floor regularly with a disinfectant, and the ants should stay away.

Near Pet Bowls

Ant colonies also see pet food and water bowls as an open invitation to eat and drink. Whenever your cat or dog leaves food in their bowl, any ants nearby will be attracted to it like a magnet. Some proactive pet owners invest in ant-proof cat or dog food bowls. Applying petroleum jelly to the base of each bowl is also another helpful deterrent. Thanks to the slippery nature of petroleum jelly, ants won’t be able to climb into the bowl.

Inside Walls

Ants often live inside the walls, so if you’re dealing with an ant infestation, inspecting the inside of your walls should be one of your top priorities. Damaged or cracked walls provide easy entry into your home and a convenient place for colonies to populate and nest. Seal cracks in walls–especially exterior ones–to prevent ants from moving in.

Relying on the Ant Control Experts at Service Choice

Dealing with an ant infestation is a challenging endeavor. Once ants have moved into your home, they’re very hard to get rid of. Instead of relying on ineffective–often unsafe–DIY treatment methods, rely on the pest control experts at Service Choice of Ft. Lauderdale to take care of the infestation for good. Using safe, proven-effective treatments, we’ll have your home ant free in no time–guaranteed! Call us today at (954) 568-9955 to schedule your free consultation.

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