The Pavement Ant
Pavement Ants are small pests (ranging from 1/10 to 1/16 inches in length) that can be found in many parts of the United States. Each individual colony contains thousands of workers, multiple queens and is usually located at one particular site, but can have satellite colonies or build huge nests that cover hundreds of feet.
This is a two-node ant (has two segments or nodes on its pedicel) and is dark brown in color. Its antennae has 12 segments (which ends in a 3 segmented club) and its thorax has one set of spines. The first physical characteristic noticed (when viewed under a microscope) is the lines which seem to have been sculptured on the ant's head. These grooves are evident on the head and thorax.
The pavement ant earns its name well, building nests beneath and along the sides of pavement: patios, driveways, sidewalks, foundations of homes. These pests can also be found inside of homes (and other structures) in wall voids, beneath toilets and water heaters. They also will readily nest in and beneath insulation in walls and attics. Outdoors, you will see pavement ants nesting beneath mulch, landscaping, stones and logs, and also along curbs. The ant beds usually appear as piles of misplaced soil, without a distinctive appearance. These loose piles of soil occasionally will have a slight crater appearance.
Each colony of pavement ants contains thousands of workers and multiple queens. Swarming of reproductives can take place any time of the year but usually takes place in the Spring. If contributing conditions (heat, humidity, etc.) are not at favorable levels, a few swarmers can be seen in several successive days. This seemingly "endless" swarm cycle often alarms residents and office workers alike. With colony population numbering in the thousands, the amount of swarming reproductives can be remarkable.
Pavement Ants are active foragers who will set up trails along baseboards, beneath the edges of carpets, beneath toilets and other areas inside a structure. Worker ants will also readily move to different rooms and floors via plumbing lines. These lines not only provide a "highway" but also entry points, moisture source and (in cold seasons) heat. The small ants feed on a variety of foods, including grease, sweets, seeds and dead insects. Pet foods or any food dropped on the floor will quickly covered with pavement ants. They also feed on the honeydew produced by aphids and are an occasional pest of vegetable gardens.
How Do We Remove Them?
Once you give McMahon Exterminating a call in Evansville, Indiana we will bring a trained technician out to discover the issue and infestation, identify and develop a unique solution to your problem as every home and infestation is unique as some might require different or more intensive methods depending on the severity and location.
We remove them by discovering where they are nesting to get rid of the nest, if there are multiple nests we will need to further analyze and close off spaces that the ants are entering to help deter them from entering the home.
It is important to remember when dealing with large infestations near the home that one simple treatment will most likely not solve the issue in a lot of cases, instead, we will need to assess and monitor the situation as it evolves because ants might find newer entry points or might be resilient depending on the type of ant we are dealing. With McMahon's C.A.N. initiative and our three easy steps — Canvas the area, Act on those results and Negate re-entry for the pest.
