Ant Blog

Sunshine, beaches, and…ants? While Northeast Florida is known for its beauty, it also boasts a bustling population of ants, tiny intruders that can quickly turn your kitchen into their personal buffet or your yard into a place that you cannot enjoy time outside with your family and friends. Mosquito Hunters can treat the ants coming into your home with our monthly residential perimeter pest treatment, your business with our commercial pest control, and protect your yard with our once-a-year fire ant treatment. We will be discussing facts about black ants and fire ants, two insects that can cause issues to your home and your yard year round.

Black Ants

Are They Really Black House Ants?

So we can properly identify and treat them, let’s confirm we’re dealing with black house ants (Tapinoma melanocephalum). These ants are tiny, usually only measuring between 1/16 and 1/8 of an inch long. They have a dark brown or black body with a single bump on their thorax (the middle section) and a slightly lighter colored abdomen.

 What Attracts Them Inside?

Black house ants are constantly searching for food and water. They’re particularly drawn to sweets, grease, and crumbs. In Northeast Florida, kitchens and bathrooms are prime targets due to their moisture and potential for food scraps. An ant worker foraging for food might find a source of tasty food and as it returns to the nest, the ant will leave behind a pheromone trail for co-workers to follow to the food source and that’s when they all come into your home.

Keeping Them Out

Here are some tips to stop black house ants from becoming unwelcome guests:

• Seal Up Your Home: Check for cracks around windows, doors, and utility lines. Even small openings can be an entryway for these tiny ants.
• Clean Up Crumbs and Spills: Don’t give them a free meal! Wipe down counters and sweep floors regularly.
• Store Food Properly: Keep pantry items in sealed containers and avoid leaving out open boxes or containers of food.
• Take Out the Trash: Don’t let overflowing garbage bins become an ant buffet and clean your trash cans regularly.
• Our services: With our Residential Perimeter Pest Control (RPPC) and Commercial Pest Control (CPC) treatments we create a protective barrier around your home or business. With our non-harmful monthly treatment, we will keep you and what matters to you most protected.

Fire Ants

Fire ants (Solenopsis Invicta), notorious for their painful stings, are a well-established invasive species in Northeast Florida. Let’s discuss their preferred habitats and some interesting facts about these fiery foes.

Fire Ant Facts:

• Marvelous Mounds: Fire ant colonies build conspicuous mounds made of soil particles. These mounds can reach up to 18 inches high and serve as the above-ground home for the queen and her brood.
• Fiery Foes: Fire ants get their name from their painful sting. They have a stinger with a barbed tip, which injects venom that causes a burning sensation, itching, and sometimes pustules.
• Super Soldiers: Fire ant colonies have a unique system. The worker ants, typically reddish-brown in color, are the ones you’ll encounter most often. They are aggressive and will swarm in large numbers to defend their nest.
• Fast Food Fanatics: Fire ants are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. They’re attracted to sweets, grease, and dead insects.
• Formidable Foes: Fire ants can displace native ant species and disrupt ecosystems. They can also be a nuisance to pets and humans.
• Invasive Species: Fire Ants are not native to the United States (1918 South America)

Habitat Hotspot:

Fire ants thrive in sunny, open areas with access to moisture. Common spots to find fire ant mounds include:

• Lawns and yards: These are prime targets, especially well-maintained, grassy areas.
• Fields and pastures: Open spaces with minimal shade provide ideal nesting grounds.
• Landscaping features: Fire ants love to build mounds around flower beds, under mulch, or near trees and shrubs.
• Disturbed areas: Recently tilled soil or construction sites can attract fire ants seeking new territory.
• Underneath structures: Fire ants can also nest under sidewalks, patios, driveways, or even buildings.

How we help:

With our once-a-year Fire Ant Treatment we can keep you and your family protected year-round. Our certified technician will come to your property and apply a granular to your lawn that will take care of those pesky fire ants. No need to worry about your children or pets being stung by fire ants. Control is within 4-6 weeks after treatment.

GIVE US A CALL

If you’re not satisfied with your current pest control provider, be it their service or knowledge, or you currently not receiving any Residential Perimeter Pest Control Treatment, Commercial Treatment or Fire Ant Treatment, reach out and let us protect you and your loved ones!

Mosquito Hunters currently provides Residential Perimeter Pest Control treatments, Commercial Pest Treatments, Fire Ant Treatments, and ongoing support throughout:

• Jacksonville
• St. Augustine
• JAX
• St. Johns
• Ponte Vedra
• Ponte Vedra Beach
• Jacksonville Beach
• Nocatee
• Durbin
• Mandarin
• Baymeadows
• Orange Park
• Fleming Island
• Oakleaf Plantation
• West Jacksonville
• North Jacksonville
• Fernandina Beach
• And the surrounding areas

For Pest Control in Jacksonville, contact Mosquito Hunters today!