Ant Infestation

Ant Infestations

Ants are among the most common household pests in the country. A lot of people assume that one ant on the counter is nothing to worry about, and sometimes that is true. The catch is how ants communicate. A worker that finds food lays down a scent trail on the way back to the nest, and nestmates follow it in growing numbers. If the food is in your kitchen, a single scout can quickly turn into a steady stream. Most ants are a nuisance and little more, but a few go further. Fire ants sting, and carpenter ants hollow out damp or damaged wood to nest, so both can affect your family’s health or your home.

Signs of an ant problem in a Florida home

The clearest sign is a steady line of workers traveling the same route, often along baseboards, countertop edges, window frames, thresholds or plumbing under sinks. Following that line in both directions shows where they are feeding and roughly where they are coming from. Other clues depend on the species:

• Tiny pale ants near sinks, bathroom counters and potted plants are often ghost ants, which nest in wall voids and plant pots.
• Small black ants with pale feet in large numbers may be white-footed ants, common in Central and South Florida, which trail up exterior walls and indoors.
• Fast ants running in erratic paths are usually crazy ants.
• Little piles of fine soil along slab cracks, expansion joints or pavers can point to big-headed ants or other ground nesters.
• Large red-and-black ants at night, with small piles of wood shavings and insect parts, suggest Florida carpenter ants nesting in damp or hollow wood.
• Winged ants gathering at windows indoors can mean a mature colony inside the structure.

Outside, check mulch beds against the foundation, shrubs and limbs touching the roof, irrigation boxes, and the area around AC pads. Ants come indoors for sweets, grease, pet food and water, and summer downpours often push them inside when nests flood. Activity is heaviest from spring through the rainy season, though in South Florida ants trail indoors in any month. If fire ants are involved, see ant bites and treatment.