Ants
Ants are found all over the world wherever you go, there are many different types of ant approximately 11,500 different species worldwide and 47 of these can be found in the UK. The most common type of ant found in the UK is the Black garden ant, the red fire ant and the pharoah’s ant.
Why it is a pest:
Ants are highly organised social insects. The worker ants will invade buildings in search of food. Ants are typically from 3 to 5mm in length and are attracted to sweet foods which they take back to their nest.
Flying ants are the reproductive males (drones), these will develop wings in late summer and future queens will also develop wings in order to mate. Mating happens in the air and the queen will then seek out a suitable nest site where she stays for the winter, laying eggs the following spring in order to start up a new colony. A single queen ant can life for up to 15 years.
What to do about it:
The majority of black or garden ants will only enter your home to search for food and are attracted by sweet and sticky substances. Make sure no food is readily available to become a food source. You can do this by making sure all food is kept in sealed containers, cleaning up any food or liquid spillages straight away and if you have pets clear away your Pet’s food immediately it has finished eating.
Whilst a wide range of DIY Products are available to kill Garden Ants, an established problem may need professional treatment to ensure that it will not reoccur, especially with Pharoah’s Ants as DIY treatments can make the infestation worse.