Your first question when looking at your ant infestation should be, what kind of ants am I dealing with? Unfortunately not all ants can be exterminated using the same means. Certain ants can be harder to get rid of, while others can cause more issues by simply moving to another area of the house. Correct identification of your little pests can help get rid of them once and for all.
Identifying Tawny Crazy Ants
The most obvious way to tell if you have crazy ants is to look at their movements when startled. They move “crazily” (hence the name) and erratically, running aimlessly around without a mound to go back to, which of course makes them harder to treat. If there is no nest or mound to treat with insecticide then you will have to try to locate a trail to determine the best places to spray.
You can also tell they are crazy ants by the fact that their legs and antennae are longer than their bodies. They are roughly an eighth of an inch in size and are a reddish brown–tawny–color. These ants are invasive and are known to do damage to electrical equipment. That’s as good of a reason as you should need to contact a local pest control company.
Recommended Steps of Crazy Ant Control
After identifying your crazy ants (and if you’re still not sure, seek professional help before turning to potentially harmful insecticides), you’ll want to thoroughly inspect your place of infestation. As their name suggests, they move crazily without a clear trail to locate or treat.
Try these steps for treatment:
- Locate a trail: Place sweet and protein food sources which will bait them.
- Search diligently: Since they forage over long distances, search all around your house, under rocks, stumps, wood, etc.
- Spray consistently: Using a non-repellent insecticide, spray around the perimeter and foundation of your home or business at least twice a year.
- Apply baits in strategic places: Crazy ants require moisture, so look for places that are known to get damp and any cracks or crevices where the pests can crawl through.
Preventative Measures for More Ants
Here are a few helpful tips to ensure ants stay away from your home or business:
- Immediately clean up and food spills
- Keep grass and vegetation neat and trim
- Seal entry points around doors and windows
Get a Professional
While these measures can prove useful, we always recommend getting a professional involved sooner rather than later. It’s easier to prevent infestations than it is to get rid of them. Tawny Crazy Ants can be difficult to both control and locate. Especially if you don’t have the experience or equipment to handle their…craziness.
Arceneaux Pest Control will not only exterminate these pests, we will ensure that you don’t get any more crazy unwanted visitors by taking specific preventative, and consistent measures.
Contact Arceneaux Pest for Ant Control Today
Don’t wait to seize back control of your home from the tawny crazy ants! Call Arceneaux Pest Control at 225-791-9911 or fill out a form on the website and we will be more than happy to stop by for a visit of inspection and extermination!