Like any other pest, ants mostly invade when searching for reliable food sources and shelter.
However, not all ants invade the same way. Identifying the type of ant you’re dealing with will help you find effective pest control strategies.
Here are some tips on how to understand the common ants in the south and how to eliminate them from your yard.
Fire Ants
They are dark reddish and love the warm climates of Southern California and the Southeastern United States. As a result, they mostly dwell in underground nests in sunny weather.
You can eliminate fire ants in many ways, including;
Boiling Water
Heat some water to boiling point and pour it on the holes and mounds, killing the ant colonies.
Although the ant hills may look small, their network of tunnels underneath may be large enough to host vast ant colonies. Therefore, you should have sufficient water to saturate all holes within the vicinity.
Baiting Worker Ants
Whenever you spot a fire ant in your yard, there may be many more underneath the nearby mounds. Usually, the worker ants will be on the frontline hunting for food while the queen and other ants remain in the colony.
A perfect way to eliminate the colony is to bait the worker ants using special bait traps that contain pesticides. The worker ants will feed on the baits and take some to the nest, effectively killing the queen and her colony.
Hiring a Professional
Pest control companies have professionally trained exterminators that help in pest control.
If you’ve tried other methods without success, contact a pest control company for practical tips to prevent and eliminate fire ants.
Pavement Ants
Pavement ants resemble carpenter ants, although they are relatively small. Unlike other ants, they appear red or black and only have two body parts. Pavement ants can bite but not aggressively like fire ants.
You’ll likely spot them on pavements, driveways, sidewalks, and other concrete surfaces.
Below are effective methods to get rid of pavement ants:
Trim Bushes and Shrubs
Tree branches form a safe bridge for ants to access your house by brushing against the sidings and rooftops. For this reason, always trim the stems and shrubs, leaving a clearance space between the branches and the home.
Use a Pesticide
Hardware and garden shops stock pesticides that effectively kill ants. To eradicate pavement ants, spray concrete surfaces, mounds, and yard perimeters with a store-bought insecticide.
Final Thoughts
Ants are common household pests in the United States. Although some species are harmless, some, like fire ants, have irritating stings.
You can eradicate ants from your yard using the methods mentioned above, but if everything fails, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
