Watch for Piles of Sand
Piles of sand and other debris indoors may signal big-headed ants. These small, light brown to reddish brown to nearly black, dull ants come in two sizes: major workers, which measure about 1/7th of an inch, and minor workers, which are about 1/10th of an inch. The major’s head is disproportionately larger than its body.
Searching for food in trails of a few up to hundreds of workers, outdoors they feed on live and dead insects, seeds and the honeydew of other insects. In your home, they prefer protein foods but will also dine on greases and sweets. Inside, they trail along baseboards and are found foraging under the edges of carpets. You should attempt to follow the workers back to the site where the colony is located and if they are entering and exiting from under a wall, an inspection of the foundation should be made for cracks and holes.
Complete Inspection Should Be Made
Control begins with a complete inspection. Items in contact with the soil should be lifted to check for ant colonies. Along foundations, big-headed ants have a tendency to use the crack between the soil and the foundation to nest. Flooding the cracks with water will reveal a nest location. Since indoor infestations tend to originate outdoors, if possible a vegetation-free border should be installed around the foundation and items under which big-headed ants could nest should be removed. Nests are even common in potted plants that are carried indoors.
Before big-headed ants can be controlled indoors, they may be eradicated outdoors. For more than 25 years, Insect Protection and Pest Control has been helping Florida homeowners and businesses eliminate these nuisances. Our technicians are specially trained and use only chemicals that are proven safe for humans and their pets and that are environmentally friendly. Call us today for a free inspection.
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