Ants Control : Why do ants come in houses and buildings?

Publication date: February 28th, 2017 SOS Bestioles

The main reason that explains why ants come in your house is simply a lack of space in the main nest colony. The main nest is usually outside (refer to carpenter ants to understand why). For example, Black Carpenter Ants’ colony can achieve its maturity and maximum capacity in about 6 years. Carpenter Ants are observed only outside in the first years. There are already satellites nests around outside.

Satellite nests are in fact nurseries to raise second stage larvae and future fertile and winged males and queens, to maturity. Young queens and males are not in the main nest because they could be a threat to the queen mother.

Ants establish satellite nests inside homes and buildings because of optimal environmental conditions. The buildings meet the needs of the colony to accelerate the maturation process of the larvae, warm (even higher than outside) and constant temperature (over 22oC to 28oC). Satellite nests can also be established in cottages that are not heated although it would take more time in this case for larvae to come to maturity.

Ants have the capacity of digging through soft construction materials. Ants do not eat them but toss them away, to make space for the colony. They will bring more larvae from others outside satellite nests and will place them in chambers they are preparing. Satellite nests can be found in styrofoam panels, rotten wood, threaholds or patio door frames, in plywood or insulation wool. Ants are usually in outside walls of the structure. Ants are rarely found in interior dry walls or floors, because it is too dry in those spots to raise ants’larvae.

Once a satellite nest is established, worker ants name forager ants, will carry more and more larvae, which will become mature members, adding up to the total number of ants. For any type of ant, it is very efficient for the growth of the colony to have satellite nests in homes, as primary as a nurseries.

Smaller ants’species will have no trouble finding spots to gather; shower pole, electrical wall plug, door treshold, southern door frame, etc. Although ants search for humidity to meet their needs, having ants in your house does not always mean that there is a water infiltration problem. Simple oozing can be enough especially for small size ants’species. New houses (less than 4 y.o) can have ants intrusions. It is not rare at all, because construction materials are not completely dry yet. Ants could be behind the insulation wool for example. There is no damage to the structure.

SOS Bestioles will do an indoor and outdoor inspection to find signs of ants’ presence location and type of dust. Our biologist knows the behavior of the different ants’ species and will take it into account in its analysis. Outside we look at tree stumps, trees, decks, fences, searching for ants’ paths and nests.

We use infrared thermography technology to help detect structural problems in walls and carpenter ants’nests.

We use very performing products to control ants : commercial granules, baits, gels, etc. All our control products are odourless and non repulsive. Ants feed on baits without knowing it’s toxic to them. Ants get also contaminated walking through our non detectable contact surface insecticide. The toxicity will begin to act when ants will be back in their ants’group. Very well placed in holes, outlets, swiches and in craks, all applied baits will help to prevent ants to spread around. When they return to the nest, ants having ingested liquid based bait will share it with other worker ants by trophallaxy. To do trophallaxy, ants have to touch each other. That allows ants to disperse the toxic ingredients among all. Few hours and days later, new worker ants now contaminated, will begin to die. In ants’nests, most of dying and dead ants will be eaten by others and given to the larvae. Nobody knows in the nest what is happening. This method to control urban ants is actually the best. As you see, we use the ants against themselves. Our intervention produces a chaos in the colony affecting ants and larvae but the colony doesn’t know where the threat is coming from. Later in the process, the bigger ants of the colony will remove dead ants, thereby contaminating themselves. Over 90 % of ants are eliminated in less than 3 months. Our work is guaranteed.

Why it is so effective ? Because, the applied insecticides leave no odour trace at all. This technology comes from research done in Europe and United States. These countries have to fight everyday with the most difficult insect to control in the world,TERMITES. Our methods are derived from there !

Compare to our safer way to deal with ants’ infestations, there are other companies that use other ways much more risky. Some businesses use the » drilling walls’ method » as a way to combat ants. SOS Bestioles Pest Control, uses safe and efficient undetectable insecticides. There is no need to damage walls by drilling holes through the vaper barrier and wet the insulation wool to inject a liquid insecticide inside. (blog on malicious exterminators)

Call SOS Bestioles for safe and efficient ants control. Our biologist will analyse the problem and its origin and establish a strategic plan with you. Ants have a great advantage over other bugs, their number. Call us at (613)404-7017 Monday to Friday 8h00 am to 20h00 pm. We take calls on week ends.