Really small ants in the house may indicate the presence of pharaoh ants but this isn’t always true. Pharaoh ants are often confused with other types of ants including thief ants. Misidentifying the infestation leads to ineffective pest control methods which is why it is a good idea to hire an ant control exterminator to first diagnose the problem and then come up with the best course of action. These small ants can also be sugar ants who look for sweet foods and may cause an infestation damaging the integrity of your home in the process.
Identifying Pharaoh Ants
Although pharaoh ants look a lot like thief ants and other tiny ants, there are a few distinguishing features. For one, the average worker is about 1.5 to 2 millimeters long. Any trails you spot in the kitchen or elsewhere are almost certainly worker ants foraging for food and only represent a tiny portion of the entire colony. Roughly 5-10-percent of pharaoh worker ants go out foraging for food at any one time. Learning how to get rid of pharaoh ants is crucial information for any homeowners in Toronto.
The pharaoh ant is yellow or light brown in color and has a darker abdomen in relation to the rest of the body. The end of the antenna has a club-like structure with three segments.
Getting Rid of Pharaoh Ants
There are plenty of suggestions for home remedies including cucumber slices, tea tree oil, cayenne pepper, and baiting. Baiting is certainly the most effective pest control method but should only be left to a professional. The reason is pharaoh ants colonies tend to split or ‘Bud’ if disturbed. This means that ineffective pharaoh ant control will only work to make the problem worse.
Splitting or budding is when a queen leaves the colony accompanied by a few workers and eggs to form a separate satellite colony. It is not unusual for a colony to have multiple queens. Although this budding may occur spontaneously such as when the major food source is interrupted or due to overpopulation, ineffective pest control forces the colony to go on the defensive and therefore split. In case you have a pharaoh ant infestation, and you are not sure how to get rid of them, contact your local ant control Toronto service to help you out.
Why Hire a Professional Exterminator
A professional pharaoh ant exterminator in Canada first identifies the type of ant infestation you have. The exterminator has a range of baiting products to choose from depending on his initial assessment of the infestation. This is particularly the case when dealing with a pharaoh ants in an apartment.
The baiting process involves contaminating the ant’s food source with a slow-acting agent. Worker ants carry the contaminated food to the nest or nests for the rest of the ants to feed on and die. This process can take up to a year and is a painstaking and labor intensive method; but the only one known to yield effective and permanent results.
If you suspect you might have a pharaoh ant problem, contact The Exterminators – Pest Control Toronto: 647-496-2211 to assess the problem and come up with the best solution.
