Ants

Ants are highly organised social insects. Ants eat a wide spectrum of foods, but they are particularly attracted to sweet substances. It is the foraging worker ants that invade buildings in search of food. Once a successful worker ant is able to communicate the information to her co-workers, the inevitable result is that vast numbers of worker ants invade and contaminate suitable human foods.

Habitat

Ants will nest in a wide variety of suitable sites, and for the most part these are of no significance to man. However, sandy soil in general, and the sand used to form the base of paved garden paths and the foundations of houses, attracts local ants and nests can be formed in these areas. Again, little trouble is caused unless the foraging worker ants invade buildings. This is likely if the nest has been constructed beneath the floor of the house as ants are adept at finding even the smallest settlement and other cracks in the structure. Other ants are then "'led" into the building.

Flying Ants

Sometime in the late summer, winged and sexually mature males and large females will emerge from the nests in large numbers over a short period of time. This "swarming" will often occur in many nests at the same time, frequently in the afternoons. The winged ants fly away, mating on the wing, and eventually settle, exhausted. The mates usually die quickly and only a small proportion of the mated females will survive to found new colonies. Normally only one female will found each colony, but sometimes new colonies are formed in close proximity. If they do join up, then one of the females will assume dominance and kill the others.

Control

Control measures are generally only required where ants are penetrating, or on occasion, living in building structures. In cases of penetration, the first approach should be to seal obvious faults in the structure using mortar/cement or mastic, as appropriate. It is usually best to support such proofing measures by the application of a residual insecticide band to likely access areas.

Treatment

Many "household" insecticide aerosols are cleared for use against crawling insects. Their use is likely to offer only short-term relief in view of the relatively low dose of active ingredients likely to be applied, and if a householder is involved in "DIY" control it would be better to use one of the bendicocarb dust "puffer packs" (0.5%).

To treat a nest, first find the nest entrance, which will be indicated by small piles of earth, or by watching the ants moving back and forth from nest to food. Dust the insect powder along ant runs and in cracks and crevices where ants congregate. Nest entrances in particular should be dusted liberally.

The directions on how to apply this pesticide are clearly shown on the product label and under the Control of Pesticides Regulations. A pesticide should only be applied in the manner detailed on the label. It is the responsibility of the owner to use a pesticide only in the manner specified on the label. It is illegal to use a pesticide in any other way.