Ants in Waterford, MI
Ants
Carpenter Ant Wood Damage! Click on image for larger version.
The hardest working pests in the business are the ants. In fact, the only thing out there that is working harder than the ants are our technicians who are taking care of them! The most common species of Ants found in Michigan are the Carpenter, Slab, Acrobat, and Pharaoh.
The Carpenter Ant
is a large black ant that is indigenous to Michigan. They live both outdoors and indoors and, as their name would imply, love wood! They cut "galleries" (tunnels) through wood to get from one place in the nest to the next, leaving piles of sawdust in their wake. If not treated, serious structural damage may be done to a home infested with carpenter ants, as they weaken the wood in the frame. Our treatment for carpenter ants is as serious as the problem they cause. We start with a thorough inspection and identification of the problem. From there, our inspector will develop a personal program based on the level of infestation. Carpenter Ants can be a costly and dangerous pest to have in the home. The sooner they can be controlled, the less likely serious damage can occur.
Slab Ants, also commonly referred to as Pavement Ants, or Picnic Ants will eat almost anything... including other insects. They are aggressive, commonly waging little ant wars against other colonies and cannibalizing each other. In the summer they vent their nests and work to take over new territory leaving sand piles typically in cracks between pavement. In early spring they may have full-blown sidewalk battles, sometimes leaving thousands of ants dead. They are not poisonous and do not carry disease, but can contaminate food.
Acrobat Ants
are very territorial and do not travel long distances from their nest. They are distinctive because they have a strange, heart-shaped abdomen. When threatened, the Acrobat Ant will sting in a fashion very similar to a scorpion. They stand on their front legs and do a back bend to sting with their pointed abdomen, an act that gave them their name. Their sting can cause a burning sensation similar to that of a fire ant.
Pharaoh Ants
are TINY (2 mm) ants notorious for being a nuisance indoors, particularly in hospitals, grocery stores, and kitchens. Inside homes, they love showers and counters. They like hones, jellies, baked goods, and shoe polish. They can damage clothes as they eat silk and rayon. They also love rubber goods. They are capable of mechanically transmitting diseases and contaminating sterile materials.
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