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Don’t be caught off guard! Spring is quickly approaching, and the ants in Tennessee will be marching around sooner than you think. The environment in Tennessee including the warmer temperature and early spring showers are just what ants are attracted to. These small insects can cause huge problems inside and outside of homes and businesses. Many people think that all ants are the same, but there are many different types: acrobat, argentine, carpenter, fire, little black, odorous, pharaoh, and others. You would need to know what type of ant is causing issues in order to eliminate it.
So, here’s the thing about ants. Different types like and do different things, but one thing they have in common is how annoying they are. Another commonality is how extremely hard they are to get rid of and how especially hard it is to keep them away. When discussing Tennessee ants, it is important to start with carpenter ants because they are not only annoying, they are destructive too!
Carpenter ants will come into your home through door and window frames, cracks, holes, screens, and other small crevices. They live in colonies outdoors mostly in rotten, moist wood and come inside looking for food. They are huge compared to other ants and can be up to a ½ inch long. Usually, they are black but could have a little red or yellow color to them. The swarming carpenter ants that invade in April and May have wings, but all of the other carpenter ants do not. The swarmers are often confused with termites, but there is a difference if you look closely. If there is a bend in the antennae and their front wings are larger than their back wings, they are swarming carpenter ants. The termites have antennae that have a beaded look to them and their wings are the same size front and back. What they do have in common is the destruction they cause to wood. Carpenters ants burrow through the wood to create paths and nests for their colonies, whereas the termite actually eats the wood. In either case, they will weaken the structure of homes and businesses fairly quickly.
Fire ants are important to note because of their potential to cause discomfort for people and pets. Most fire ants are red, but they can also be reddish brown to black with a copper head. They are only about ¼ inch long, but are very aggressive and will attack if disturbed. They will not only gain access to structures the same way as carpenter ants, but they also can be transported on plants, wood, or even in car tires. Their preference for nesting is in an open area or lawn where it is moist. These little red pests can pack a painful bite which actually comes from a stinger on their abdomen that injects venom. A typical reaction to this venom is pain and a red swollen area around the injection site. Some people have been known to have allergic reactions to the venom as well. However, fire ants have attacked and killed domestic and wild animals, and they can destroy crops by feeding on young plants and seedlings. The fire ant’s attraction to electrical equipment can ruin farm tractors and mowers. Inside structures, they chew through insulation and electric wires.
Little black ants nest outdoors in old logs, cracks and crevices, and lawns. They enter homes to find food and like places that have moisture. They are not dangerous, although they do have a very small stinger that doesn’t really hurt. They are a plain and simple nuisance, especially in large numbers. These tiny brownish black or black ants live in huge colonies and they eat anything and everything: other insects, fruits, vegetables, plants, grease, and sweets; nothing is safe.
Odorous house ants are also looking for warmth, food, and light moisture, and will access homes and other buildings when conditions outside become uncomfortable for them, especially during extremely heavy bouts of rain. They will gain access to your home and will quickly become a nuisance, but they are not dangerous. They can contaminate food sources and love sweets and fruits. They are only about ⅛ inch long and are extremely common in Tennessee homes. To make matters worse, they give off a smell of a rotting coconut when squashed.
Needless to say, whether the ants in your home are just a nuisance or ones that can be destructive or harmful, you don’t want any ant taking up residence in your home or business. It is important to not only eradicate the ants that are currently a problem, but you will also want to make sure that ants will not be able to come back. In Tennessee your best eradication and protection choice is a year-round pest control plan from All-American Pest Control. We take your pest problems seriously and will get the job done right the first time. With our highly trained expert technicians, access to the most effective tools and technologies, and more than 55 years of hands-on experience in local pest pressures, All-American Pest Control can safely combat ants and other pest pressures quickly and effectively. We will get to the root of your ant problem and solve it for good. To keep ants from infesting your Tennessee home or business this spring, be sure to give us a call today!