SWIFT, EFFECTIVE PEST CONTROL SERVICE IN FLOWING WELLS, AZ

FAQ: Ant Infestations in Flowing Wells, AZ

ANTS: THE MOST COMMON PEST INFESTATION IN FLOWING WELLS

Anyone who lived more than a minute in Flowing Wells knows how bad the ant problem is in the area. This is due to a combination of factors related to weather, soil, and food sources. As each species of ants requires a specific treatment, we’ll discuss them species by species. This information will help you recognize why type of ants you are dealing with.

Carpenter Ants
How do you recognize carpenter ants? They are big. Much bigger than red ants and typical black ants. We start to see them in late spring and they remain active through early fall. They forage at night and expand their colonies during this period. Carpenter ants establish nests in moist, decaying wood (e.g. tree stumps) and also in structural wood in buildings. The way we do ant control is by identifying and removing the nest, repairing any wood damage, and applying insecticidal dusts or baits directly into nesting sites. It may take several weeks before we succeed in eliminating the full colony.

Fire Ants
Everybody hates them. Don’t step accidentally in the area where they nest. Be mindful of the little soil mounds they build by digging in open, sunny areas. Fire ants reach peak activity during spring and summer: that’s because warmer temperatures accelerate colony growth and foraging. To control the fire ant population on your property, we typically broadcast bait treatments that worker ants carry back to the nest, gradually poisoning the queen and brood. Treatment requires several weeks, sometimes months, to show its full effect, depending on mound size and environmental conditions.

Pavement Ants
You can typically spot those black ants nesting beneath a sidewalk, your foundations, your driveway. They come into your home through structural gaps. In Flowing Wells, you will see their presence increase during spring and summer: that’s the period when they forage more aggressively. To control their population on your property, we use baits near their foraging trails, and we seal exterior entry points. It takes a few weeks for a treatment to be effective, but we need to follow up to prevent recurrence.

Argentine Ants
Argentine ants are black with a hint of reddish, rusty color. These ants form large colonies with multiple queens, and you will see them near your irrigation points because they prefer moist environments. Can spot them because they move in visible trails, back and forth between their nests and the food sources they are foraging. They are not aggressive like fire ants, but they forage trash and dead animals, so they can be disease vectors if they enter your home. Because our winters are rarely harsh, Argentine ants stay active throughout the year but their population swells in spring and summer. To control their population, we use baiting systems that they carry back to the colony. How long is the treatment? It depends on the size of their colony; it may take several weeks to do away with the entire nest because they dig expansive networks and they have multiple reproductive queens.

Forelius Ants
Forelius ants are also called high noon ants. They look a bit like fire ants but their red color is not as pronounced, it’s more washed out. They may also have a red thorax but a black body. We find them in large populations in Flowing Wells and other areas of Tucson because they love high temperatures. You can even spot these busy-body ants during the hottest times of a summer day. They dig shallow nests in dry, sandy soil and form small, crater-like entrances. These build trails from their nest to your home. Because they are less responsive to conventional bait treatments, we control their population with insecticidal sprays around your home, and some exclusion measures such as sealing cracks and removing nearby harborage. Typically, you can observe a reduction in their numbers soon after treatment; however, this is surface-level only. In reality, long-term control requires consistent environmental management.

Leafcutter Ants
Leafcutter ants are rust-red ants, with a big appendage in front of their mouth. You will see them appearing on your property primarily in summer, after a monsoon: they forage for leaf material to support their subterranean colony. Colonies nest deep in the soil, constructing large, cratered entrances: you will recognize their presence by the clipped vegetation around the entrance of their nest. Leafcutter ants don’t respond to sugar- or protein-based baits. They need targeted treatment with professional-grade bait formulations specific to their species. We need multiple applications over several weeks to achieve a serious reduction in their population due to the complexity and depth of a colony.