Ants

Typically the ants you see are dark colored and 3 mm long, have no natural enemies and have multiple queens in their colonies.  Only the Queens lay eggs.  The life cycle of an ant goes from egg, larva then to pupa and adult.  Ant nests are usually formed in moist soil, along sidewalks and driveways or under debris.  They are drawn to sweets but can also feed on protein that is typically other dead bugs.  They can venture from the nest up to one hundred feet in order to find shelter, water and food.  Once they make entry to your home they will multiply and nest there until you take action against eliminating their food, water and shelter source. 

You can prevent ants from breaking entry by:

• Finding the location in which the ants got in-in the first place.  Good places to check are electrical outlets, pipes, bents, baseboards, floors, drains and walls.  You can seal off any holes with caulking compound.
• Cut back wooded material, trees, or shrubs that come into contact with your home’s exterior.  Clear out debris and mulch alongside your home.
• Clean up all spills of food and beverage immediately.
• The next step is to install bait dispensers, however you have to choose the right dispenser according to the ants you have.  Research what type of ants you have first.
• Install bait dispensers outside the perimeters of your home.  Bait dispensers are effective because they are insecticides mixed with substances that attract the worker ants.  This will allow the worker ants to bring back bait to the colony and kill the rest of the ants including the Queen, which is the one that lays the eggs.  When the Queen dies the colony is destroyed.
• Fill the bait dispensers regularly with liquid borate-based bait until the problem is finished.