Have you noticed an increase in ants on your property? Springtime in Oklahoma is when the ants start looking for new food sources and building new colonies—and your home could be a tempting location for both.
In pest control, it’s best to know your enemy. Read on to learn about two major Oklahoma pests—the carpenter ant and the “sugar ant”—to find out more about their characteristics, their habits, and how to identify an infestation.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants typically infest wooden structures and can cause widespread damage to buildings if colonies are left unchecked. They are generally large (1/4-1/2 inch) and range in color from solid black to a combination of black and orange. While carpenter ants are often mistaken for termites because of their similar appearance, swarming habits, and impact on wood structures, their behaviors are actually very different. For example, unlike termites, who eat wood, carpenter ants will excavate structural wood and deposit it outside the structure in sawdust-like piles of frass.
March, April, and May are the swarming months for carpenter ants in Oklahoma. To prevent these pests from entering your home, ensure that all wet conditions and dead wood are removed from around or inside your home. Repair leaking gutters, remove piles of firewood from against the home and ensure that there are no leaks or cracks through which water (and ants) could enter your home’s foundations.
Sugar Ants
Sugar ants are a distinct species native to Australia (Camponotus consobrinus), but the name is also used generally in North America to refer to small, non-stinging ants of various species. As the name implies, these ants are attracted to sweet foods like crumbs, stains, spills, or any sugary foods left sitting out. They favor living temperatures comparable to our homes and will build their nests and mate indoors if possible. The workers emerge at dusk to retrieve food and bring it to the nest, making infestations difficult to spot.
Although sugar ants will generally not cause structural damage to homes, their infestations must be dealt with quickly to prevent large colonies from forming and raiding food storage around the home.
Don’t let ants wreak havoc on your home. With our new process of ant control, we can eliminate the entire colony, rather than just deter the ants temporarily. In fact, only one treatment from Parker Pest Control is guaranteed for a full 90 days! If you’re seeing signs of carpenter ant infestation or sugar ant infestation in your home, don’t wait. Contact us today at 1-800-324-2847 to get rid of an infestation for good!