Signs of an ant problem
Black Ants are relatively easy to see in their adult stage. A Black Ant colony contains only one queen and between 4000 and 7000 workers. A larger colony can contain up to 15000 workers. The queens winter in soil and eggs are laid in late spring. On hot day between June and September, makes and females from many colonies take flight and mate. The new queens lose their wings and burrow underground waiting for the arrival of spring. Black Ants tend to build their nests in lawns, flower beds, beneath paving stones and at the base of walls. Their nesting sites are usually visible by the appearance of small volcano type structures of soil and sand. These are the entrances to the underground nesting site.
Pharaoh's Ants live in colonies that can range in size from a few dozen to 300,000 and there are usually many queens in one colony. This ensures that queens can be replaced and that the colony survives indefinitely. Their need for warm humid conditions means that in the UK they are confined to buildings. Infestations can be found in a wide variety of locations including, residential blocks, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, food handling premises and zoos. Signs of an infestation can include trailing ant patterns on the walls of a building, pet food dishes and bathrooms are usually used by the ants as source of food and water, rubbish bins and food storage can also show signs.
Ghost Ants can be very hard to spot due to their very small size and translucent colouration. They are highly adaptable nesters, capable of living indoors and out doors, although in the UK they are normally found nesting inside of buildings. They are attracted to high moisture areas and can be found in kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Colonies can occupy several nesting sites.
