S & W Pest Management Inc : Insect Guide

Pest Guide » Ants » Argentine Ants:

Argentine Ants
Linepithema humile
Color: Dark brown to black; shiny
Legs: Six
Shape: Segmented; oval
Size: 1/16" - 1/4"
Antennae: Yes
Flight: No

The Argentine ants do not sting or bite and are mainly a nuisance to people. They are often found indoors or forming large trails of ants into homes. Argentine ant colonies can grow to monumental size, containing tens of thousands of workers and numerous queens. Their colony borders sometimes cover entire habitats. The workers are all about the same size. They emit a faint musty odor when crushed.

In the home, they prefer to eat sweets but they will eat almost anything including meats, eggs, oils and fats. Their natural food source is the sweet honeydew produced by aphids and mealybugs. Fruit trees, roses and other plants that attract aphids can contribute to Argentine ant infestations.

Argentine ants are very difficult to control. Adult worker ants are only a small fraction of the total colony. Spraying for them will only be temporary since the colony will simply send out more worker ants when others are killed. Also, there is a good possibility that the ants will move to another area until the chemicals break down. After that, the ants will return because they are constantly scouting and foraging for food, water, and nesting sites. The best way to control these tiny invaders is to prevent an infestation in the first place.

Prevention Outdoors:

Remove piles of lumber or other yard debris that could serve as a nesting site for ants.
Keep mulch less than 2" thick and at least 12" away from foundations.
Eliminate sources of moisture such as leaky faucets, plumbing, and free-standing water. Also, make sure that your sprinkler system does not spray directly onto the foundation of your home or business.
You may want to re-landscape. Avoid using plants that are prone to aphids.

Prevention Indoors:

Clean windows of dead insects, Argentine ants will feed on them.
If ants are trailing to food, remove the food source and wipe ant trails with a mild detergent to erase the trail pheromone. The trail pheromone is a specialized chemical that foraging ants emit to guide other foraging ants to food or to a new nesting place.
Check potted plants for ants before bringing the plants indoors, water the soil thoroughly to force ants out of the soil.

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