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You honestly wouldn’t think an insect the size of an ant would be able to cause such a nuisance in the home. Unfortunately, this is not the case at all. Not only are there specific species of ants that bite and sting, but there are some that do structural damage to the home. Whatever the situation, these are not the type of insects you want lingering in and around your property. Especially not if you are running a commercial operation. These are the exact things our pest management pros are here to help you and your family tackle.
What Are Ants And What Do They Look Like?
Like most insects, the ant is one that is comprised of three main body regions. These would be the head, the mesosoma, and the gaster. That being said, you’ll also find something known as the petiole. This is what would be considered the narrow waist and it can contain one or more nodes.
Properly Identify Ant Species
Just because you know what the ant looks like, it honestly doesn’t help your case any. The reason for this is because there are so many different species. As a matter of fact, there are currently 12,000 known species in the world. Therefore, it is imperative, yet almost impossible to determine which specific species you are dealing with. And determining the species can make a major difference because some need to be dealt with utilizing different methods.
Ants are commonly confused with termites, but the major difference to be noted is the petiole that was mentioned above. This is the section located between the abdomen and the thorax and is only present on the ant. The termite does not have this extra body portion. They also have elbowed antennae along with extremely powerful mandibles that give them the ability to tunnel through dirt and wood with ease.
Upon finding an ant or two in the home, the most effective thing to do is trying to locate the nest. Every ant will eventually travel back to the nest, so just following them around will eventually lead you back to where you want to go. This being said, different ants can be identified by looking at a variety of factors. Some of these factors include but are not limited to colorization, the size of the worker ants, the size of the males, the type of nest, the number of petioles nodes, and their distinct characteristics.
Understand The Ant Habitat
Ants usually like to live in what is considered structured nest communities. Sometimes these communities are located underground and sometimes they can be in trees. There are even times when you might find nests in wooden structures, depending on the species your home has been invaded with. Nests can be hidden, or they can be right out in the open. When you locate the nest, you’ll want to examine it for defined shape, look, and the placement of the entrances if possible.
Unfortunately, as you can see there are tons of things to consider when it comes to ants. Likely too many things for the average individual to keep straight. And that’s okay because it’s why we are here. If you suspect you have an ant problem on your hands all you must do is get our local office on the phone.
If you have any other pest control issues please check out other services.
Our Service Area
Woodson Terrace, Winchester, Wildwood, Wellston, Webster Groves, Warson Woods, Vinita Park, Velda City, Valley Park, University City, Twin Oaks, Town And Country, Sunset Hills, Shrewsbury, St John, St Ann, Rock Hill, Richmond Heights, Pine Lawn, Pasadena Hills, Pagedale, Pacific, Overland, Olivette, Oakland, Northwoods, Normandy, Moline Acres, Maryland Heights, Maplewood, Manchester, Lakeshire, Ladue, Kirkwood, Kinloch, Jennings, Huntleigh, Hazelwood, Greendale, Green Park, Glendale, Frontenac, Florissant, Flordell Hills, Ferguson, Fenton, Eureka, Ellisville, Edmundson, Des Peres, Dellwood, Crystal Lake Park, Creve Coeur, Crestwood, Country Club Hills, Cool Valley, Clayton, Clarkson Valley, Chesterfield, Charlack, Calverton Park, Bridgeton, Brentwood, Breckenridge Hills, Black Jack, Beverly Hills, Berkeley, Bellefontaine Neighbors, Bella Villa, Ballwin.
Zip Codes We Service
63188, 63179, 63178, 63177, 63169, 63166, 63163, 63158, 63157, 63156, 63155, 63151, 63147, 63146, 63145, 63144, 63143, 63141, 63140, 63139, 63138, 63137, 63136, 63135, 63134, 63133, 63132, 63131, 63130, 63129, 63128, 63127, 63126, 63125, 63124, 63123, 63122, 63121, 63120, 63119, 63118, 63117, 63116, 63115, 63114, 63113, 63112, 63111, 63110, 63109, 63108, 63107, 63106, 63105, 63104, 63103, 63102, 63101.