Black Ant Extermination in Waterloo: The Ants That Can Invade Your Home

While we normally don’t qualify an ordinary ant infestation as life-threatening, ant

extermination in Waterloo is something we should not take lightly. The sheer presence

of household ants are not dangerous and will never put human health and well-being

in harm’s way, yet they can be as annoying as you can imagine.

Black ants, scientifically named as (Lasius niger), are among the most common ant

species in the world.  And while they love to nest outdoors, you will often see them

inside human dwelling spaces and other similar structures. Perhaps the underlying reason

behind this particular behavior they have is because they know that they have better

chances of finding food if they will harbor inside our homes. Give them a good chance to

gain entry and access to your home and indoor spaces, and they will have you annoyed

for the rest of your life. If you are not aware yet, there are at least 12,000 species of ants,

from all over the world. But only a small fraction of these multifarious species of ants

can actually pose a threat to your home’s privacy.

Proper identification of the species of ants that may be hiding inside your house will

depend on several important factors, such as habitat, appearance, as well as the region or

place of their origin. The body of an ant may either have 1 or 2 nodes. They are sometimes

referred to as “humps”. They are found on the thorax section of their bodies and is used

to properly identify the species that an ant belongs to.

Ants species also differ in size and color. Some of them can inflict a painful bite,

while others can sting and induce an excruciating pain. As for the case of the fire ants,

this species can do both,  they can sting and bite.

The following is a list of the most common ant species that can be usually found in or

around human dwelling spaces:

Acrobat Ants (Crematogaster)

This ant species comes in brown to yellow-brown color and all-black to red black. They  

have 2 nodes on their bodies and can grow to about 3 millimeters long. Usually, you

can see them nesting outdoors, and their favorite nesting spots are moist wood.  Hence,

you will sometimes see them along the surfaces damaged wooden structures in random

places.

If worker ants perceive an imminent threat is coming to them, they will react by lifting

their abdomens up to a height almost above their heads. This kind of pose will help send

signal to their opponent that they are capable of defending themselves, and perhaps

their territories, too. When acrobat ants assume such a position, they will look a lot like

a scorpion.

Argentine Ants (Linepithema humile)

Argentine ants are not known to sting, but as much as you can, do not crush them

with your bare hands. Doing so will make their bodies emit an offensive, musty odor

which you will not like. When they are indoors, you may be able to find them in

wall voids, or wall insulations. But if they are outdoors, especially during the winter

months, they are capable of nesting in a wide range of areas but come summer time,

they prefer to harbor in shadier, cooler spots.

Asian Needle Ant  ((Pachycondyla chinensis)

With just one node, the worker population from this species of ants usually

grow to about 5 millimeters and usually they have dark orange to brown-black

mandibles. When they are outdoors, they prefer to nest in cool and heavily shaded areas

with adequate moisture. Compared to other species of ants, they are less bellicose and

because of that they are less likely to attack neighboring ant colonies. Take caution

though not to have these ants get into your closet. If they get  into your clothes, they

will certainly sting you if they get trapped between the fabrics of your garment

and they come in contact with your skin.

Carpenter ants (Camponotus)

In the United States alone, there are various types of carpenter ants and they

highly qualify as a structural pest. Due to the wide spectrum of species for

carpenter ants, we can’t ascribe to them a definite or fitting physical description. As

for their size, they can grow from 6 to 13 millimeters.

The common misconception about carpenter ants is that many people are under the

impression that they eat wood, hence their name. But these ants don’t wood,

they are named as carpenter ants because they can excavate and shape into a cavern

any wood  surface on purpose so that eventually it will become their nest. If you

happen to have a home in the woodlands, you need to be on a constant lookout

for this type of ant because if they will surround your house, they will pose a constant

risk to your house which can be damaged by them.

If you are affirmative that what you have uncovered in your backyard is a

carpenter ant nest, you should not dare to come near them because they are a bit

aggressive and may perceive you as a threat. You will regret disturbing their nest and

they will surely sting you.

European fire ant (Myrmica rubra)

The worker population of the European fire ants can grow to a length of about 4 to 5

millimeters. With two nodes on their bodies, they will usually come in light

reddish-brown color. During the warm weather months, European fire ants can be

observed making a nest out of a wide gamut of outdoor habitats that include lawns,

shrubbery, or garden. But when the colder months come along, they will retreat and

will likely see them indoors. They can be found wrapped around your water heater,

under your bathtub, or on any other areas of your home where enough supply of heat and

moisture can be found. Sans the moisture and the heat, they may not survive for long.

European fire ants are also among the aggressive species of ants, and you will not

want to disturb them out from their nests or any other hiding places they may be in

or else they will sting you like death.

Exterminating Ants in Your Home

If you are bothered by the presence of ants in your home or in your backyard,

you will need to properly identify them first so as to come up with the right kind

of extermination treatment. Unfortunately, for the majority of homemakers who are

normally clueless about ants and other similar pesky insects that may invade their

homes, this is going to be a very challenging endeavor. For this, the best recourse they

have is to reach out to a pest control company offering ant eradication services that

they can count on. As of this moment, it is important to know that there is still no

single available method accessible to the general public that can guarantee you with

good success in eliminating ants for good.

What remains to be the best option for homeowners when their indoor spaces

are invaded by tiny, crawling insects like ants is to enlist the help and services of

the professionals. They have the right equipment to use, technical expertise to

apply, and relevant experience to hold to and all of which will help put an end to your

pest infestation problem. Indeed, ant extermination in Waterloo is not something

you can easily dismiss as a petty domestic issue but they can also escalate into a

serious problem you must deal with.