Getting Rid Of Increasingly Smarter Ants In Alexandria, VA
Professional ant control is becoming more important for the residents of Alexandria, VA. If you have ever dealt with ants, then you probably know just how resilient they can be. Just when you think you finally got rid of them, you notice a new line of marching ants invading your home. Why is that? One reason is that you may not be using the right approach.
Do you see a line of ants and immediately take out a can of pesticide and start spraying away? What you may not realize is that the real issue is the queen ant, who’s out there in her nest creating more ant armies to send into your home. In other words, what you really need to take out is the queen, not her subjects. That’s why baits are the best solution.
So, rather than spraying down marching ants, use their lines to your advantage. Bait them into traps that contain food for them to bring back to the nest. Unfortunately for your pests, the food’s poisonous, so the bait will kill the queen ant and end the stream of new ants flooding into your office.
Even now, you shouldn’t spray or wipe up the line of ants. You want them to continue following the scent so as many of them bring bad food back to the nest as possible. Read more at Chicago Now…
When using baits, it’s also worth noting that it could be a few days or weeks before you notice the ants start to dwindle. But sometimes, even that doesn’t work. The ant armies keep streaming in. One possible reason for this is that the ants may not find the bait contents appealing.
Regardless of how annoying they are, you have to admit that ant evolution is pretty impressive. At least that’s what some scientists feel because there are studies out there examining ant behavior. One group of scientists found that ants can be quite picky about what they eat:
A common problem pest management professionals (PMPs) run encounter with ant control is ants not taking the bait they have laid out. In these situations, technicians should consider whether the bait they have chosen is meeting the colony’s nutritional needs, said Kevin LeMasters, president of EnviroPest, based in Loveland, Colo. Ants may not consume a bait if it does not contain the food sources they need during a specific time of year. When picking a bait, it is important for PMPs to consider the growth and development patterns of ants. This way, they can choose one that best appeals to them. Read more at PCT Online…
It would seem that ants are so evolved that they switch up their diet depending on the season. They’ll pick foods rich in fats and proteins in spring, and then carbohydrates in the summer. They instinctively know their nutritional needs for each season. This may be why they’re passing up on your yummy bait food and going for what you actually eat instead.
Another group of scientists discovered that ants can actually use their memories to protect themselves from danger. Once an ant comes across a trap and escapes, it is less likely to be at risk of falling into the same trap later on. Ants typically use the same routes to their food sources and back to their nests. They use pheromone traces to find their way back home. Their memory helps them get better at keeping themselves safe with each new trip.
In an investigation by animal behavior specialist Antoine Wystrach and colleagues from the University of Toulouse in France, ants were found to be able to establish the link between visual signs and negative experiences. Ants can remember potentially dangerous routes.
…The ants, who encountered the trap in the first time, quickly moved towards their nests and fell into the trap. In the second attempt, it was observed that the ants changed their way by avoiding the pit. Some ants approaching the trap first stopped and checked their surroundings, then wandered around the pit and reached their nests safely. Read more at SOMAG News…
Backyard Bug Patrol takes all these factors into consideration when laying out our professional ant control strategies in Fairfax County. For instance, our ant baits contain just the right food for the ants depending on the season. Additionally, our traps are laid out strategically, so the ants don’t view them as traps but as food sources. We’ll also come back to ensure the job was done, and replenish the traps as needed. Call us today.