Ants are an issue that you and your Tulsa Pest control company can handle together. These colonizing insects attempt to take over your yard and home. Beneath our feet in our yards, a massive war is occurring without us knowing. These colonizing insects are marching on one another in an attempt to fight for food and survival. Ants are highly motivated and working overtime in order to ensure the survival of their colony. So in this article, let us take a good hard look at ants, their life cycle, and what you and your Tulsa pest control company can do to protect your home from these pests.
INDOOR ANTS
In most cases, these insects don’t bother us. They live their lives outside of our domain off in the woods or fields far from our homes and loved ones. But when they get close to us or in our domain, then they become a problem. In Oklahoma the number one indoor ant that we find is the Odorous House Ant. This ant has this name because if you take one of the workers and you crush them and smell them, then you get a very distinct odor that comes from their carcass. Some people will describe this odor as a musty, coconut smell, or other vivid descriptions. At the end of the day it is a very unique smell, and if you do that, you can definitely identify the odorous house ant.
These ants will get inside your home and build a colony in a wall space or other void that they can find. Once here, they’ll march on your kitchen and attempt to take your food. They could be difficult to eliminate because they multiply the colony by a method known as splintering. If a set of workers is separated from their queen for an extended period of time, then one of the workers will become a new queen, and start a second colony. Often when people use over-the-counter pesticides, they will trap these workers away from their original colony with it. This causes splintering and doubles the issues that you’re dealing with. So if you’re dealing with the odorous house ant or any other ants, it’s very important that you contact your Tulsa pest-control company for help.
ANT LIFE CYCLE AND TULSA PEST CONTROL
Ants develop using a complete metamorphosis. This means that they’ll have four different stages to their lifecycle. The queen will start by laying an egg. The egg is the first stage of the lifecycle. Worker ants in the colony will tend to this egg until it hatches to reveal the second stage of the lifecycle of an ant. This stage of the larva stage. This wormlike version of an ant can’t do much but eat. But it plays a very important role in the society of the colony.
Adult ants have three distinct body sections, separated by very narrow waists. The mouth is contained, of course, in the first body section which is the head. But the digestive system is contained in the last body section which is the abdomen. This means that food must pass through both waists before it gets to the stomach. Because of this, they can’t consume solid foods. They’ll take the solid food to the larva who will eat it until they eat too much and then throw up. Then the adult ants can go in and consume the leftovers.
ANT PUPA AND TULSA PEST CONTROL
Once the larva has grown to a certain point, it will be ready to move to the next stage of its lifecycle. This stage is known as the pupa stage. Much like a caterpillar will cocoon in order to become a butterfly, these ants will build their own cocoon in order to pupate, or develop into the adult ant. Once in the stage, they pretty much don’t move or do anything other than develop. Finally, once the pupa stage is over they will break free from the cocoon and emerge as an adult, ready to take on the responsibilities of the colony.
Throughout the development of these lifecycles, the ant will be subjected to pheromones. These are special hormones that are applied to the insect in order to communicate to it. In this case, these pheromones tell the ant what caste it will be a part of. Contact your Tulsa pest-control company for more information on ants.
CONTROLLING ANTS AND TULSA PEST CONTROL
In most cases, when people see an ant crawl across their countertop, the first thing that they want to do is spray it down with a pesticide that they can get from their local hardware store. These over the counter pesticides are a bad idea because they contain two components. The first component is a knockdown agent which kills insects instantly. These pesticides only last for a few minutes after being sprayed but it can be effective if you’re seeing one right on your countertop.
The second part is a repellent pesticide that will last up to 30 days on whatever surface that it is sprayed on. This is where splintering comes in. These insecticides can be sprayed so much that ants will get trapped behind them and they can sense this spray and it will not walk through them. This is how you can create a second colony in your home and have all sorts of problems with it. Because of this, it’s important that you contact your Tulsa pest control company in order to spray your home with the correct pesticides to do the job.
If you’re having issues will ants or any other pest control problems, then its time to call a Tulsa pest-control company that can help. Here at TermMax pest control , we are the best in the business when it comes to dealing with ants or any other insects. We service the greater Tulsa area, including Broken Arrow, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Prattville, Claremoore, Catoosa, Coweta, Owasso, Turley, Jenks, Bixby, and so much more. Call today for a free estimate. We’re here to help!
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