Ant Control and Extermination
Ants are rarely found on their own, one ant finds their way into your property and the rest of their colony will also find a way in, numbers could rapidly become a hundred then even a thousand. You can squash and crush as many as you like, finding the ants nest should be the start, elimination of the nest second and then sealing up their entry points last, if all these steps are not followed ants will plague you constantly.
Ants require warm temperatures hence why you most often notice them in the summer months. Our warm homes and readily available food sources make our premises an ideal territory for an ant to hunt.
In the UK we have a number of species of ant. The common black garden ant is what most of you are familiar with. We are also unlucky enough to have invasive ant species some of them coming from the other side of the world, this will give even an experienced pest controllers a challenge.
Help I’ve got ants in my house!
Do not panic if you have an ant in your kitchen please take a photo of it and send it to info@iQpestcontrol.co.uk and then call us on 01280 811198, we will be able to identify the species of ant for you. Once we have confirmed the species of ant present we will offer pre-treatment guidance and arrange to visit your premises fully equipped to deal with the species involved.
Ants and their humongous nests are able to breed and multiply rapidly, every ant when on their quest to find food leaves a pheromone trail which will lead their colony to your home or business.
Regardless of what species identified we do not operate a “spray and pray” approach as this will not give the intended result.
Non-native “exotic” ants no not respond well to pesticides, despite maybe killing a few ants the colonies quickly go into survival mode and start building multiple nests which inevitably makes the ant infestation worse. Long term solutions provided by iQ Pest Control will get rid of ants, we will also offer advice to make your premises less attractive to these pests.
I have ants in my house, what type are they?
Circa 30 species of ant are found in the UK. Of these 30 only a small handful are truly considered pests and have taken up residence in our homes and businesses, the remaining species tend to spend their lives in the countryside and are widely accepted as providing a service to the environment in which they live.
Some ants are simple to identify, some less common ants to the average home or business owner may not be quite so familiar. The vital first step is correctly identifying the species which is why we encourage you to send a photo a photo to info@iQpestcontrol.co.uk and then call us on 01280 811198
iQ Pest Control - Ant exterminators
Black Garden Ant – the most common ant you are likely to find in your house
Vital Statistics
Length:
Males 5-7mm (Drones)
Females 3-5mm (Worker)
Queen 15mm long
Description: Black to dark brown
Habitat: Kitchens and the obvious gardens
Queen Lifespan: 5-15 years
Everyone at some point in their lives will have seen the garden ants going about their business. They are extremely common and are found everywhere, attracted to our homes and businesses due to the sugary, starchy fragrant foods we all eat and drink.
They are highly adaptive and do very well in built up environments, a small crack in a wall or patio is all they need to start their colony. In the ground as their large nests are excavated it is common to see small deposits of soil or sand above ground, this is the early indication that something is going on beneath your feet. In a mild winter or early spring you may start observing this as early as late February!
Architects design houses and with good reason, with the kitchen backing onto your garden, this unfortunately puts your kitchen at risk or an ant infestation as their access is relatively easy, this is where infestations usually start from. Ants can effortlessly scale walls so are also found on first floors within a house, in blocks of flats or many stories up in office blocks.
Ants use a clever technique of leaving pheromone trails as they are on the hunt for a supply of food. As soon as they locate a source such as your sugar canister, bread bin, a fruit bowl or even your pet food they can pave the way for all their colony to feast on the same delights, this trail of ants could number hundreds or even thousands.
Although these small black insect are irritating pests they are not carriers of disease, what they can be guilty of is transmitting bacteria as they may inevitably travel through unhygienic areas.
It might make you feel like you are having an impact by squashing multiple ants, but there are many thousands more in their nest so your efforts will have little to no effect. Ant control treatment, both internally and externally must be done to stop ants from coming back. iQ Pest Control will identify their entry points and will focus efforts on extermination of queen ants which the whole colony are labouring for.
Invasive and exotic ant control in buildings
Do you have Pharaoh Ants?
Vital statistics
Length:
Worker: 2-3mm long
Queen: 4-6mm long
Description:
Worker: Opaque yellow body, darker abdomen and black eyes
Queen: Reddish colouration
Habitat: Warm dry locations
Queen Lifespan: 4-12 years
Pharaoh ants have spread across the globe and can be found in any warm environment, originally these small ants came from a topical environment but they can very well adapt to our centrally heated, insulated homes and businesses.
Pharaoh ants are unusual as they have multiple queens. The average nest will have as many as 170 queen ants which is approximately 5% of the total population. Given the number of queens present if the colonies are not dealt with quickly and correctly the nest can very easily split which leads to rapid expansion and can spread throughout the whole building.
It is NEVER recommended to attempt a DIY pharaoh any removal, the over the counter insecticides will only encourage the colonies to split into the dreaded satellite colonies. These satellites colonies and their multiple queens will regroup and you are likely to end up with a higher number of pharaoh ants spread over a larger area. A thorough professional evaluation of your site is essential so we can analyse the colony only then will we start any treatment.
As with the more common black garden ant, disease is not spread by pharaoh ants nor do they have the ability to bite or sting us. But due to pharaoh ants complex social structure and proficiency to split colonies it does makes them one of the most difficult pests to deal with.
Do not panic if you think you have pharaoh ants in your home or business, please take a photo and send it to info@iQpestcontrol.co.uk and then call us immediately on 01280 811198 we will confirm the identity of the ant in question and then book your pharaoh ant control appointment. iQ Pest Control will always provide a full site survey of the building or buildings affected by pharaoh ants after which we will provide a comprehensive and detailed report with both our findings and recommendations for control of the ant colony. Surveys prior to treatment and the resultant report are particularly useful for landlords, managing agents and residential committees.
Carpenter Ants
Vital Statistics
Length
Adults: 6-12mm long
Males/flying swarming ants: 18mm
Queens: 20mm
Description: Very dark brown/black
Habitat: Within wooded structures such as floor boards, roof beams, garden building
Queen lifespan: 25 years
Carpenter ants also sometimes known as wood ants are usually at home in wooded environments. It is becoming increasingly common for carpenter ants to make their nests and expand their colonies within wooden buildings. Carpenter ants get their name from the way they excavate wood, usually the first sign of a carpenter ant infestation are small piles of sawdust from their mining exploits which is easily seen.
Carpenter ants excavate by chewing wood, they do this to expand their network of tunnels and chambers which the queen lays eggs in. It is quite common to be able to hear the ants industriously working their way through your wooden structure. The population of the colony can reach colossal numbers which can cause serious structural damage. Carpenter ants do favour damp wood which could be an indicator that you have damp issues in your property.
Termites and carpenter ants are often confused as they both chew and feed on wood, termites are a very rare occurrence in the UK, whereas carpenter ants are becoming more and more of a problem. If you believe you have carpenter ants in your home or business, please take a photo of an ant or their nest if you have discovered it and send it to info@iqpestcontrol.co.uk and then call us immediately on 01280 811198, we will confirm identity of the ant in the photo and then book your carpenter ant control survey.
Ghost Ants in the home?
Length:
Workers: 1-2mm
Males: 1.5-2mm
Queens: 2.5mm
Description: Dark brown head, milky white translucent antennae and bodies
Habitat: Humid warm environment
Queen lifespan: Relatively short at only a few weeks
Ghost ants get their name as they have pale milky white bodies, given their tiny size they can go about their business and establish numerous colonies before they are spotted.
Ghost ants originated in tropical climes so they can only thrive and survive in humid warm locations, so in our homes this is usually the bathrooms, kitchens and greenhouses.
Ghost ant nests are occasionally found in plant pots that have most likely come home with you from the garden centre. But equally their nests can be found in some weird and wonderful places throughout your home.
Due to their tiny size and their out of the ordinary nesting habits, ghost ant extermination is difficult and only a professional investigation and treatment will give you long lasting control.
If you spot tiny ants in your home or business, please take a photo of an ant or ants and send it to info@iqpestcontrol.co.uk and then call us immediately on 01280 811198, we will be able to confirm identity of the ant in the photo and then book your ant control appointment.
Help I’ve got Argentine Ants, what do I do?
Length:
Worker: 1.6-2.8mm
Queen: 4-6mm
Description: Brownish yellow bodies with opaque abdomens
Habitat: Wherever they see fit!!
Queen lifespan: 10 years
Argentine ants have similarities with garden ants and also pharaoh ants. Argentine ants like the more common garden ants make their nests in an array of locations they are even known to use vacated garden ant nests to form their own colonies. Akin to the Pharaoh ant Argentine ants have numerous queens in their nests and if disturbed the colonies inevitably divide which will cause the ants to spread throughout your premises.
Argentine ants are native to South America although have now invaded over 15 countries across 6 continents their numbers are significantly increasing across the world including the UK. Argentine ants in some cases will form mega colonies, the largest recorded was found in the Mediterranean stretching an almost unbelievable 3,700 miles.
Argentine ant control is increasing year on year which is reported across many parts of the UK, and the rest of the world. With our summers being warmer and longer we foresee more reports of this invasive species for many years to come.
More so than any other ant found in the UK it is imperative that you do not attempt a DIY ant elimination on an Argentine ant nest, leave it to iQ Pest Control. We provide a professional long term solution, investigation, treatment to help rid your home or business of these unrelenting insects.
Please take a photo of an ant or ants and send it to info@iQpestcontrol.co.uk and then call us immediately on 01280 811198, we will be able to confirm identity of the ant in the photo and then book your ant control appointment.
Ant exterminator near me
How to get rid of ants or prevent them from entering your home or business
Sweet food and drink like sugar and fruit is what draws ants to your property so always ensure these items are in sealed containers.
If you spot ants in your home of business follow them to see where they are gaining access and seal up their entry points.
The only way to eradicate ants are to kill any queens. Although very tempting squashing and killing ants is useless, it may even encourage colonies to split which will make your problem even worse.
When you spot an ant in your property please take a photo of an ant or ants and send it to info@iQpestcontrol.co.uk and then call us immediately on 01280 811198, we will confirm identity of the ant in the photo and then book your ant control appointment.
iQ Pest Control Provide Pest Control Services in Aylesbury, Banbury, Bedford, Bicester, Brackley, Buckingham, Coventry, Daventry, Kettering, Leamington Spa, Leighton Buzzard, Lutterworth, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Oxford, Rugby, Southam, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Wellingborough, Woodford Halse and their respective surrounding areas. Even if you are outside of this area please still pick up the phone and call us as we are rapidly expanding our service area - wherever you are and whatever pest issue you are having iQ Pest Control will keep your premises pest free!