Argentine Ants

Home Ant Control

 

Color: Light to dark brown

Characteristics: Argentine ants tend to have massive colonies with several queens.  These ants eat anything but prefer sweets.

Size: Usually about 1/16 of an inch long. The queens tend to be larger, approximately 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch long.

Potentially Dangerous: Yes

Food Contamination

Illness Spreading

What Do Argentine Ants Look Like?

Argentine ants are light to dark brown in color and are rather small at 1/16 of an inch long.  Queens do grow larger, approximately 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch long.

Why Do I have An Argentine Ant Problem?

Argentine Ants are native to Argentina and Brazil, but were introduced to the US aboard coffee ships before 1890.  These pests are now found in Texas and throughout the southern US, including in Houston though isolated infestations have been found in other states. Argentine ants have a tendency to make their way indoors when the weather is very wet or very dry, or when they are short on honeydew as sweets, oils and fats will do as a substitute.

Where Do Argentine Ants Nest?

Outdoors Argentine ants build shallow nests along sidewalks, along buildings, underneath plants, under logs,  and under boards or stones.  They usually build their nests in moist soil that is located near food sources.

Inside they will nest behind walls, behind large appliances, or underneath of floors.

What Kind Of Threat Do Argentine Ants Pose?

Argentine Ants are notorious for being nuisance pests, but they have also been known to spread disease. They often crawl through garbage dumps, sewers and carrion, where they pick up diseases that they can spread to any surface they touch.  Argentine ants aren’t just a threat to us either.  Because their colonies are so massive, they often displace native species.

What Are The Signs Of An Argentine Ant Infestation?

Argentine ants are a type of “trailing” ant which means that thousands of ants will walk single file following a trail that is 200 feet or longer from their nesting area to a food source.  This trail of ants is one of the major indicators that Argentine ants have nested in or near your home.

Other signs of Argentine ants include:

• The foul musty smell they omit when crushed
• Ants flocking to areas of moisture like around pipes, behind appliances, and bathroom areas.
• You find this type of ant crawling everywhere in large numbers; on beds, furniture and clothing, or in pantries, refrigerators, and stoves; no areas of your home are off limits to them.

How Do I Control Argentine Ants?

Controlling Argentine ants can be difficult, especially once they have found their way into your home or facility.  The professionals at Holder’s Pest Solutions know that in order to eradicate these pests, it is necessary to see where they are entering your property and to locate the nest that these ants are living in. Once the nest has been located, our technicians will develop a treatment plan that eradicates the entire colony of Argentine ants. At the first sign of an ant problem, contact Holder’s.

How Do You Prevent Argentine Ants?

Along with acquiring year-round pest control services there are several things that you can do to help prevent the very persistent Argentine ant from overtaking your home.  Here’s what we recommend:

• Eliminate areas of clutter around your home; remove unused building materials, get rid of piles of fallen leaves, and store firewood away from your home.
• Limit areas of moisture around your home; don’t overwater your plants, make sure gutters are working properly, and fix any leaky pipes or fixtures that are located inside or outside of your home.
• Trim back trees and bushes from the outside of your home so that they cannot use the branches to gain easy access into your home.
• Seal cracks and crevices found in your home’s foundation; caulk gaps found around windows and doors, and install door sweeps.
• Store food in sealed containers or in the refrigerator; don’t leave food out on counters or tables.