What are ants?

Ants are insects that are workhorses. They have six legs, but aside from the queen, are wingless. Ants are divided within their colonies into different castes, and each caste has a specific job within the colony. There are many different species of ants throughout Australia, and in particular New South Wales, so people living in areas such as Parramatta need to be aware of the different types of ants, along with the possible threats they pose to your home or yard. Ants are a big part of the ecosystem, however their presence in your household can spell trouble.

What are their habits?

Ants are divided into size classes, and as stated above, are diligent workers. The goal of ants is building the colony and they do so with extremely sophisticated pheromone communicative practices. Furthermore, soldier ants are known to defend themselves with their powerful mandibles. Often, they defend themselves by biting, and this can be other intruder ants or people. Certain species of ants will swarm people who step on their colony and inflict painful bites.

What is their Life Cycle?

Ant colonies can live a long life relative to other insects. Worker ants generally live 1 to 3 years, while a queen can live up to 30 years. Ants are active year-round and often the ants have their lives terminated early instead of dying from natural causes. Ants are incredibly hardy and adaptable, and in theory a colony, if undisturbed, can be in the same place for decades.

What Damages and diseases do they bring to the household?

Ants are problematic for humans because their persistent invasion of structures can ultimately damage and degrade a house, especially one made of wood. Ants are constantly searching for food, so a great way to keep your home ant-free is to store any food that isn’t being eaten securely in the refrigerator. Another great technique is having jars that completely seal. Ants are attracted to sugar and can detect it from miles away. Because ants can cause great damage it is important to contact the pest professionals at Safe Home Pest Control as soon as you detect ants within your structure.