Ants are a nuisance when they enter homes or properties. Common species of ants such as the Black Garden Ant are not thought to carry disease, although it’s impossible to know exactly where the Ants might have been foraging for food before entering your house therefore they should always be considered a health and safety hazard. It is always advisable to stop Ants from entering your home and food cupboards, and the team here at The Bristol Pest Controller can help not only with your ant pest control outbreak, but also take the necessary steps to reduce the odds of another ant infestation happening in your home or business again!
The Bristol Pest Controller have decades of experience behind our belt, multiple awards and we are one of the most highly rated pest control companies in the south west. No matter how big or small your ant infestation is, stress no more and contact the experts here today.
Why is there an ant infestation in my home?
Black Garden Ants will explore buildings and homes searching for spilled liquids and rubbish looking for food supplies to feed their queens and her young. Garden Ants leave a pheromone trail back to their nests for other Ants to follow and find the food source.
There is more than one kind of Ant in the UK. Black Garden Ants that invade houses are the easiest to eradicate, because they tend to stay near the nest. Interestingly (for us!) despite their name Black Ants are actually a very dark brown in colour.
Pharaoh Ants are a more indoor nuisance, especially in some types of public buildings such as hospitals. They are around 2mm long and yellow or light brown. Pharaoh Ants travel further from the original nest and also set up satellite nests, so getting rid of them can be more difficult: as you wipe out one nest another can take over.
Black Garden Ants and Pharaoh Ants both have the main divisions of the body (head, thorax, abdomen) they have distinctively narrow waists with a prominent elbow joint in their antennae. They are extremely organised social pests. Ants will invade buildings looking for food highly attracted to sweet foodstuffs, it’s generally the worker Ants that will carry out the foraging which they will take the food back to the nest to feed the queen and her larvae.
What are flying ants?
Flying Ants are the reproductive males and females these can be commonly seen in the peak of summer. Their nupital swarming flight might only last a few days where mating will be carried out in the air. After the mating has taken place the male dies. The newly fertilised female (Queen) will then seek out the most appropriate location to start laying her eggs for the following spring.
What are the risks involved with an ant infestation?
All Ants can carry bacteria after they have been crawling across unknown substances then passing across our foods which we consume potentially causing food poisoning. Tropical Ants or Pharaoh Ants that are common in the UK have the ability to sting much like a wasp.
How can I prevent & get rid of an ant infestation?
- Cover up exposed food.
- Clean up food, liquid, spillages, and debris immediately.
- Keep compost bins far away from the house.
- Locate all nests inside and outside of building.
- Apply Insecticide powder product into holes.
How do you treat an ant infestation?
Ants leave a pheromone trail to tell the rest of the colony where to follow for food, so if they find food in your home, you can be sure more ants will follow. The products used in our ant treatments can only be purchased by professionals and is a highly effective formulations to attract and control a variety of ant species. Foraging ants will feed on the bait and then return to the nest, transferring the bait to the queen and the entire colony, Killing the infestation at the source.
Who can help me?
The Bristol Pest Controller offers not only rapid extermination of Ants in Bristol and the surrounding areas but also advises on how to ‘Ant-proof’ your premises so that the infestations do not recur.
We recommend you always use a professional pest control technician who is qualified with the (British Pest Control Association).
The Bristol Pest Controller is fully qualified and a member of the BPCA. Contact us today for a free quote for all of your ant pest control needs.