The Many Problems Ants Bring To Jacksonville Residents

Ants, ants, and more ants! Ants are everywhere in Florida right now and could be putting you, your family members, and your home at risk! These pests can be dangerous and destructive. They can also be extremely annoying, bite, and all of them have the potential to cause health problems. Let’s talk a little about the most common home-invading ants in Jacksonville: the acrobat ant, Argentine ant, carpenter ant, fire ant, ghost ant, odorous house ant, pavement ant, and last but not least, the pharaoh ant.

Acrobat ants are nuisance ants that range in color from a dark brownish-black to a light brown color. When living inside homes, these ants nest inside building voids and insulation; when living outdoors, they live in wood, leaves, and soil. Acrobat ants are attracted to sweets, grease, and proteins.

Argentine ants are also a species of nuisance ants; they are brown, shiny ants that are able to move very quickly. Argentine ants build large colonies outdoors in damp areas under mulch, debris, logs, or slabs and feed on oils, fats, and sweets.

Carpenter ants are destructive, wood-damaging ants; these ants are large and are usually black, red, or tan in color. They build their nests in damp, decaying wood products and can hollow out the wood by chewing up the cellulose and pushing out any other debris. These ants can find their way indoors while they are foraging for food at night. Carpenter ants feed on honeydew, fruit juice, and sweets, as well as other insects.

Fire ants are dangerous as they contain toxic venom that they inject into their victims when they bite; these bites can be serious to people who are sensitive to their venom, especially young children. These ants have copper or brown-colored heads and reddish-black bodies. Fire ants create their nests in moist soil or under rocks or wood. The tell-tale dome-shaped mounds that fire ants create in open spaces are often a sign of their presence. They eat crickets, seeds, and young plants, and can even kill small animals with their venom!

Ghost ants are another species of nuisance ants and are a pale color. These ants prefer to live in areas of high-moisture and generally nest outdoors in plant pots or under stones or logs; ghost ants feed on sweet foods and dead insects.

Odorous house ants can be quite a nuisance inside homes and give off a terrible odor that smells like rotten coconut when they are crushed, hence their name. Odorous house ant colonies have multiple queens and nest under stones, leaves, logs, mulch, or other debris, as well as under patios and in piles of firewood. These ants feed primarily on honeydew and the nectar of plants.

Pavement ants are nuisance ants that are dark brown, have small stingers and nest along pavement, foundations, and sidewalks. These ants will sometimes travel long distances to get inside homes while searching for food sources and will even travel along plumbing pipes and other available trails to get to multiple levels of a home! Pavement ants eat mostly sweets, grease, dead insects, and pet food.

Pharaoh ants are a nuisance and they are yellowish with a red abdomen. They live in very large colonies with many queens and nest in baseboards, wall voids, and wood where it is moist, warm and near food and water. Oddly enough they are common in hospitals. They prefer meats, pet food, and other dead insects.

As you can see, ants of different types can be dangerous, but did you know that ants can also cause fires and contaminate food sources? Some species of ants will chew on the soft outer-covering of electrical wires which can cause a spark that can actually start a fire in your home! Some other ants can contaminate food sources because they can carry and spread bacteria like salmonella and dysentery.

It is important to be aware that ants are not as harmless as they seem. If you are experiencing problems with ants in your Jacksonville residence, contact the professionals at Lindsey Pest Services. We offer reliable, high-quality ant control services that are efficient, effective, and eco-friendly. Let us protect your home from dangerous, damaging, and annoying pests, including the common ants in the Jacksonville area; contact us today to learn more about our residential pest control options!