Why You Can’t Move Anthills In Jacksonville On Your Own

Ants can seem like relatively harmless pests. But there are thousands of types of ant species in the world and several that are common along the Gulf Coast. Every species brings unique problems and can pose different threats, some more dangerous than others.

More Ants, More Problems

The most common type of ants you’ll find in and around your Jacksonville home are nuisance bugs, the kind that aren’t known to bite or carry diseases but they can be gross to have around -- crawling all over the places where we eat and prepare our food. Others are far more dangerous:

• Pavement ants: These tiny, black bugs are probably the ones that come to mind when you picture ants. They are so-called because they like to nest within the safety that cracks in the pavement provide.
• Carpenter ants: Similar in coloration to pavement ants, these guys grow a bit bigger and can be far more dangerous. That’s because they nest inside of wood and can bore holes in your home that harm its foundation and structural integrity. 
• Pharaoh ant: Well-known carriers of diseases, these ants are hard to get rid of completely because a single colony can split into several if treated incorrectly. They are typically smaller than pavement ants and are light brown or yellow in color.
• Red imported fire ants: The big reason why you shouldn’t touch an ant hill is because it could belong to these angry and dangerous bugs. Their stings hurt, a lot, and they are incredibly territorial and easily provoked. They are brown or reddish in color.

At-Home Methods Likely Won’t Work

Ants, by their very nature, are hard to eliminate because they divide their survival tasks among a caste system. You can eliminate thousands of the bugs and achieve nothing, since only a handful of ants in each colony actually reproduce. Those are closely guarded and rarely seen. Improper use of pesticides can not only cause ant colonies to hide in even more difficult-to-reach areas, but the harmful chemicals can pose health risks to you and your loved ones.

The most common DIY fails are:

• Improper bait: Different ants like different types of food. So using the wrong bait to lure ants into traps is a waste of time and money.
• Quick-kill solutions: While it might sound right, a bait that kills ants quickly actually isn’t preferred. To destroy a colony, bait has to be carried back to the queens in order to get rid of the reproductive members of the colony. Buying too-effective of a solution isn't effective at all. 
• Mound tipping: People think that by destroying an ant mound, they’ll disrupt the colony and force them out.

This is largely ineffective and can be dangerous if the mound belongs to furious red ants that will bite and sting.

For Professional Help, Turn To Lindsey

Rather than try to destroy an ant mound or use store-bought or household means to eliminate ant populations, turn to the experts at Lindsey Pest Services. Our technicians know the specific ways to get rid of specific ant varieties, with methods that will effectively and safely remove the problem from your home or business. Even if a full-blown infestation hasn’t taken hold yet, we can provide thorough inspections of your home, crafting a prevention plan that’s tailored to your schedule and budget to ensure that ants never become a problem.
 
Don’t risk making an ant problem worse by trying to go it alone, turn to the experts at Lindsey for fast and proper ant removal.