Ant Control

 

Types of Ants in South Florida

While there are more than 10,000 different ant species across the globe, there are six common species that like to call South Florida their home and are regularly infesting homes and yards. The most common species are big-headed ant, white-footed ant, and ghost ant. However, there are also fire ants, crazy ants, and carpenter ants. Hulett's house ant control service will properly identify the species of ant infesting your home or property in order to develop the best treatment plan.

Ghost Ants

You may also hear ghost ants referred to as sugar ants, and if they make their home inside your house, ant control is imperative. Many homeowners struggle with chronic ghost ant infestations, as they will make their nests both inside and outside.

Ghost ants are particularly tiny, measuring just 1/16th of an inch at full maturity. They can be challenging to spot as their bodies and legs are light in color and translucent and their preferred foods include sweets as well as foods that are high in protein. Homeowners most often spot them once they make their way into a food source in the kitchen or as they gather around a spill. A trademark of the ghost ant is the odor it emits when stepped on or crushed. Homeowners may notice a smell similar to rotten coconuts upon killing the insects.

While ghost ants are most prevalent throughout South Florida, they have been found as far North as Gainesville. It is known as a tropical ant and is not commonly found to infest Northern U.S. states. Colonies can be challenging to eradicate without the help of a professional ant control service, as there may be multiple "queen" ants, the females that are responsible for reproduction.

It is common to find multiple colonies close together, particularly in areas of wet grass and landscaping, or behind cabinets and the baseboards in your home. Additionally, the ants may build their homes around flowerpots, under piles of wood, and other undisturbed spaces that are warm and damp. One thing is for sure–where you find one ghost ant there are likely countless others hiding near by.

When searching for ghost ants in your home, you are likely to first notice them in the kitchen or bathroom. Ghost ants often leave trails behind them that lead back to their nests or colonies. Luckily, this species of ant is easily treated with proper ant control techniques from a professional service such as Hulett.

Fire Ants

South Floridians know to watch out for fire ant mounds on their property, as they are aggressive to people and pets if accidentally disturbed and have a painful sting. Often, an infestation will bring multiple colonies to your property. Fire ant mounds can reach 18-inches in diameter and the insects can aggressively emerge to attack if you disturb their home. After receiving a sting or a bite from a fire ant the area is likely to become tender and swollen, with a white pustule that appears on the site within 24-hours of the attack.

These ants are polymorphic, meaning they vary in size. Some can be small, similar in size to ghost ants, but some can reach up to 1/4 inch in length. They are a red-brown color and prefer to create their colonies outside in the turf, in sunny warm areas. Homeowners frequently find fire ant colonies around patios, sidewalks, the foundation of the home, driveways, and near electrical boxes. These pests can cause extensive damage, leading concrete slabs on sidewalks, patios, and driveways to buckle and move. This can pose a danger to humans and pets, as well as lead to costly repairs.

There are two species of fire ants that are commonly found throughout South Florida. The first is the red imported fire ant, and the other is the tropical or native fire ant. The red imported fire ant is the most frequently spotted out of the two. It frequently makes it home in many Southern and Western U.S. states.

These ants have four teeth, which are what causes the painful bite to human skin when they attack. They also have a stinger on their gaster, which is a bulbous portion of their abdominal segments. While their bodies are red-brown in color, the gaster on the abdomen is usually black.

Not only can fire ants cause harm to humans and pets, but they are destructive to property and the environment as well. They can interfere with crop harvesting, and enjoy feeding off soybeans, citrus, cabbage, corn, sweet potato, sunflower, and much more. When these elements are not available in raw form in the wild the ants may make their way inside your home in search of a food source in your pantry.

As red imported fire ants and native fire ants require different types of ant control, it is essential that you hire professionals who can properly identify the species of bug. Hulett has a board-certified entomologist on-staff for this very purpose, ensuring that your home and property get the correct treatment the first time.

Crazy Ants

There are two types of crazy ant species present in South Florida that can commonly infest, the black crazy ant and the Caribbean crazy ant, now refereed to as the Tawny crazy ant. Both can be very obnoxious with their fast a rapid behavior, hence the name "Crazy" ant. If you find them on your property or in your house, ant control is necessary as they do not often go away on their own, and the Tawny crazy ant can have massive colonies.

The black crazy ant reaches approximately 1/8th of an inch in length and prefers to make its home outside. Caribbean crazy ants are "Tawny" in color, meaning that they are yellow/orange with a tint of brown and also prefer to live outside. However, both can make their way into your kitchen in search of something sugary and sweet to eat.

Homeowners may recognize the Tawny crazy ant, due to the hair that covers its body. However, the head remains hairless and appears dark and shiny. This distinct appearance is crucial in identifying the insect. Colonies contain several "queens" and can span over several nests–these create supercolonies that are widespread across your property. The ants are known to move freely between nests and share their resources making them a particular nuisance as they spread quickly.

It is crucial to eliminate crazy ant infestations from your property for several reasons. In addition to being unsightly, the ants can harm crops and plants, may attack animals and pets, and destroy beehives. The ants are also attracted to electricity and often make their way inside a home's electrical box. This can pose major dangers to homeowners, as infestations can lead to power shortages and expensive electrical repairs.

Big-Headed Ants

Big-headed ants commonly infest outdoor property. They are likely the most common and biggest ant pest in South Florida. This ant nests in the ground and is commonly found excavating soil between sidewalks, driveways, patio pavers, and even inside under baseboards. Luckily, they are not aggressive towards humans or pets. As their name implies, their heads are disproportionately large compared to the size of their bodies in one of their "worker" castes. They are known to come inside when on the hunt for their next meal, typically sugary or greasy foods, and meat.

This species of ant is invasive and is even named in the top 100 "World's Worst" invaders. While the big-headed ant is not generally aggressive towards humans or pets, it may bite if disturbed. Big-headed ants leave trails, or foraging tubes, behind them when they are on the move and homeowners may confuse these trails with signs of a termite infestation. For this reason, it is essential to contact an ant control service immediately for proper identification of the pest.

If your home is suffering from a big-headed ant invasion, you are likely to find trails, which resemble lines or tubes of dirt, in the kitchen, bathroom, and around common entryways such as windowsills and doors. You may also notice trails leading up the exterior sides of your home, or on walls inside. In subtropical areas such as South Florida, the big-headed ant is able to reproduce year-round, making it a challenging pest to eliminate without proper ant control.

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are rather large and can exceed half an inch in length. They tunnel through damp and dead wood to create their nests and can often be found outside near sheds, wooden decks, under the siding of your home, or in areas with fallen tree branches. Carpenter ants prefer damp environments, so moist areas within the home like the kitchen and bath are enticing for these pests. The ants prefer to consume sweet foods, making your kitchen an ideal hunting environment while they forage for their next meal.

While there are many species of carpenter ants found across the globe, the Florida carpenter ant and the Tortugas carpenter ant are most prevalent in South Florida. They are often startling to homeowners, as these species are very large and they are able to fly. Flying female carpenter ants can reach 20mm in length, while smaller worker ants vary in size ranging from 5.5mm to 10mm. These ants have long, golden or brown hair on their bodies, are generally nocturnal, and prefer to look for food at night.

Carpenter ants can bite humans and pets if they are disturbed. While they do not cause the same extreme adverse reaction as fire ants, the bites may begin to burn as they spray formic acid upon attack. Swarming season takes place between April and June, where you may notice wings shed throughout your home, particularly surrounding common entryways such as doors and window sills.

To effectively eradicate a carpenter ant infestation, you will need a professional ant control service that can properly identify the colony and treat the nest directly at the source. It is essential that you hire a professional, as incorrect application of a spray can cause the colony to relocate, instead of eradicating it as intended.

White-Footed Ants

These ants, as the name implies, are dark in color except for their white feet. These little bugs also prefer damp environments and are particularly prevalent in South Florida through the rainy season. White-footed ants feed off of the sweet excrement of ornamental pests such as scale or planthopper, called honeydew, so you can often find these white-footed ants in trees, near gardens or landscaping installations. These ants are not aggressive, however, they may make their way inside and infest damp areas such as kitchens and bathrooms. Or, they can also infest attics, especially if tree limbs are touching the roof. This ant trails very tightly, and it is very common for homeowners to find this ant walking in line formation up an exterior wall.

Colonies of white-footed ants may contain anywhere from 8,000 to 3 million insects, making them a widespread nuisance for home and property owners. The ants range in length from 2.5mm-3mm making them challenging to spot. In South Florida, colonies release winged males and females between the months of July and August, when homeowners may find discarded wings around their property.

Fast and Effective Ant Control Services

When you see ants present, either in your home or around your property, contact Hulett Environmental Services for fast and effective ant control. We will send a specialist to your home for a FREE inspection to evaluate any areas of concern and to properly identify the type of ants infesting your space.

Hulett Environmental Services has a board-certified entomologist on staff for this purpose, so you can rest assured that you receive the correct treatment to eradicate ants the first time. We offer convenient scheduling and you can also submit pictures to our experts online using the secure portal.

Treatment for Ant Control

We will send trained and certified applicators to your home to administer best-in-class ant control services. Our technicians utilize treatments that are family-friendly, pet friendly, and environmentally friendly.

Ant Control Prevention

Once we complete ant control service at your home our technicians will spend time with you and your family providing education on preventing future infestations. We will also help you develop a routine maintenance plan to keep your home pest-free year-round.