Ants

urban pest specialists

Ants belong to the family Formicidae within the order Hymenoptera. This group of insects includes ants, wasps, wood wasps, sawflies, and bees. There are about 3000 species of ants in Australia.

Most ants live in more or less permanent nests. Colony sizes can vary enormously and are mostly found on soil, rocks, and wood they are known intruders of buildings. Ants can also be predators, or scavengers, it is the scavengers that have the most success in exploiting our house’s and kitchens. As well as being generally a ‘nuisance ‘, ants may present a health risk to humans.

There are some known instances of ants carrying on their bodies or in their digestive tracks, disease organisms that may cause dysentery pathogenic bacteria and salmonella, potentially being transmitting to humans.

Control of ants, relies on a knowledge of nesting and foraging habits. A thorough inspection should be carried out by following workers and locating their nests. Treatment of the nest is the most effective means of eradicating the colony.

Ant colonies may contain upwards of 500,000 individuals; you probably only see a small number of ants living in the colony however, the infestation may be much larger than we think.

If you have any ant problems, Contact Urban Pest Specialists on 0400 121 241