Ants
The Antagonists: The Intricate World of Ants
Call in the Professionals
You may think that such a tiny pest like an ant can be easily solved yourself, but ants can be more of a problem that you realize. There are multiple species of ants, and each specie requires different bating and baiting strategies for effective control. Sprague has the necessary knowledge, and tool to accurately assess an ant infestation, determine the species involved, and tailor a treatment approach accordingly.
Key Risks
Ants can become a large infestation very quickly.
They contaminate food products and other products
Ants can carry diseases
Types of Ants
There are many species of ants, below are the most common found in the Western United States:
- Odorous house ant: Are commonly found in Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, and Arizona. Interestingly, they are not common in Colorado, specifically the Denver metro area. Some colonies can be as large as city block. These ants are the friendliest toward each other, and they don’t fight other colonies.
- Argentine ant: Are usually all-female, unless it is mating season and then the colony will product male ants. They are commonly found in California, Nevada, and Arizona. Argentine ants don’t live well with other colonies and will attack nearby colonies to gain dominance.
- Pavement ant: These ants typically build their colonies under sidewalks and concrete; the most common sign is pushed up dirt. They are found throughout the country but are very popular in Colorado and the Denver area. Just like the Argentine ant, they are also very aggressive and will attack each other if there is another colony in the area.
- Carpenter ants: These ants are wood-destroying ants they build their nests inside wood. They are very common in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
- Pharoah ants: These ants are smaller than sugar ants, so small that they could crawl through an IV line. Thankfully, these ants are the most common in apartment buildings instead of hospitals.
Did you know?
Sprague Solutions
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Bait
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There are multiple types of ant bait, and it is important that the correct bait is used for the type of ant. Ants have seasonal preferences for which type of bait that they will consume. The goal of the ant bait is to spread it throughout the colony as much as possible.
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Perimeter Treatment
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A seasonal perimeter spray is one of the most effective methods for preventing an ant infestation. Ants will transfer the effects of the pesticide to other members of their colony.
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Wall Void Dusting
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Extreme infestations may require wall-void dustings. Ants are tiny creatures that like to find cracks and crevices in walls. If this infestation occurs, a pesticide dust can be placed where ant activity has been found. Dusting application is only applicable in situations where there is no chance of human or food contamination.
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Exclusion
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he easiest way to prevent an ant infestation is exclusion. While ants are tiny, there are simple steps that can prevent ants from breaching a facility. Our Route Managers inspect your facility during every service and provide suggestions for how to prevent ants from entering.
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Monitoring
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For small infestation, glue board traps can be an effective method to track ant activity and take steps to mitigate a larger infestation from occurring.
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Sanitation
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One of the simplest methods to prevent ants is to remove their food, water sources, or shelter. An excess of shrubs, trees, or other plants around a facility can create easy access points for ants to enter a facility.
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Third Party Consulting
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Having an expert opinion is critical when food safety, money, customers and your reputation is on the line. For pest prevention across a wide range of industries, Sprague’s got it covered.
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Trapping
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Trapping is a highly effective method for getting rid of rodents and insects. With a keen understanding of pest behavior and biology, our Sprague specialists rely on an arsenal of traps to monitor or eliminate pest activity.
