Ants

Ants are one of the most successful groups of insects. They are social insects that live in colonies which are usually located in the ground, but may enter buildings for shelter and/or food. Ants feed on practically every kind of food, but those entering homes are looking for sweets and/or protein-containing substances.

About 700 species of ants occur in the United States and Canada. Of these, only about 25 species commonly infest homes.

Pest ants are usually divided into two groups based on their typical nesting preferences, either wall-nesting or ground-nesting ants. The biology and habits of each species are different, so a detailed knowledge of these for each species is necessary for m effective control. The five most common wall-nesting ants are the carpenter ant, crazy ant, odorous \4 house ant, Pharaoh ant, and the thief ant. The most commonly encountered ground-nesting ants are the Argentine ant, pavement ant, little black ant, velvety tree ant, and thefire ants.

It is necessary to know which ant species you are encountering because ants vary widely in their food preferences and living habits. Preliminary.