Ant Action

There’s a children’s nursery song called “The Ants Go Marching” and if you’ve ever had an ant problem, you’ll understand the reference to an army.

Ants are highly social insects so they live together in large colonies, feeding and grooming each other. When ants begin to infest your homes in large quantities, and sting people in yards or parks, they then fall into the category of a nuisance pest.

Most Australians will have had dealings with ants and probably been bitten at least once in their lifetime. If you’re lucky, it would have been a common ant bite, rather than a nasty bull-ant which can be painful for days. Some species of ants can be a public health problem and have been known to short circuit electrical components which can become a potential fire hazard.

Their social organisation, diversity and adaptability in the urban environment have made ants a “Least Wanted” insect for both Pest Managers and house holders within Australia.

Many home owners favour a “do it yourself” ant control, but unfortunately, in most cases this actually makes the situation worse. Over the counter sprays are simply a repellent and cause a phenomenon called “budding”. This is where ants separate from the parent nest and queen, to form a new second colony. For the best and most effective control of ants we recommend treatment only by a professional licensed pest control manager.

Paul at Tommy Termites Pest Management will conduct a proper inspection of your home, and establish where your ant problem originates from. He will then discuss the best course of action to take. In most cases we recommend an external treatment of the dwelling as majority of times the ants within your dwelling are travelling back and forth from a nest outside whilst foraging for food and water.

The Insecticide we use is not a barrier – we do not want to trap the ants within your home, we create a treatment zone which is undetectable by the ants. The ants walk through the treated zone and carry the substance on their bodies and pass onto any ants they come in contact with. Those ants then pass it onto more ants throughout the nest and so on. We call it sharing the love!

Anti-Ant Advice

Try these handy hints to discourage ants from moving in to your place:

ANT PREVENTION INSIDE

  • Clean up spills and food crumbs quickly
  • Empty waste baskets regularly
  • Dispose of uneaten pet food
  • Store food in pest-proof containers

ANT PREVENTION INSIDE

  • Keep trees and shrubs trimmed back from your house
  • Keep gutters and storm drains free of debris
  • Keep rubbish bags sealed and in closed garbage bins
  • Watch for new ant mounds or nests around your home and call Paul if you see them!
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