Ants have inhabited the earth for the past 100 million years so chances are, they aren’t going away any time soon. A queen ant only has to, how to put this, “have coffee” once in order to produce eggs for the rest of her life. A male is allowed only a single “cup of coffee” after which he dies; proving once again it’s good to be female.
Since only 10 percent of the colony will be foraging for food, and rarely at the same place, chances are the ants you see are just the tip of the iceberg. Honeydew, a liquid produced by aphids, scale and mealeybugs, is a main food source for many ants. If a tiny drop of liquid produced by an aphid is a meal, even a small spill of juice or soda is a feast.
Because moisture is a factor contributing to ants thriving, any steps to minimize moisture will help minimize ant populations. Steps to reducing moisture include maintaining the depth of landscape mulch to less than two inches, keep the grass short, bag clippings, edge or weed eat around trees and foundation and direct A/C drip line and gutter rain off well away from the foundation. Because any vegetation touching the siding will act as a bridge for ants, keeping a two foot vegetation free zone around the foundation will help limit easy access for ants.
If you are experiencing a problem with ants, or any other pest, we hope you’ll consider putting the resources and knowledge of Mr. Bugg’s Pest Patrol to work on your behalf.
Call today for a free evaluation.
