Ant colonies are the most common pest problem for homes and businesses. Ants are attracted to unsecured food items, usually sugary foods, but also to meat, fatty food, oils, grease, vegetable matter, and dead insects. Colonies are formed in moist environments, such as damp, rotting, or molding wood, where they will rapidly develop into an established colony due to their short life span and rapid reproductive rate.

The majority of ant problems in the United States are caused by 4 species of ants:

Carpenter Ants are 5/8” long and nest in damp wood, hollowing it out piece by piece. These ants can move on to damage even solid wood in your home.

Red Imported Fire Ants range from 1/8” to 3/8” and nest in dirt mounds, but spread into homes in search of food. These ants are known for their painful stings.

Pharaoh Ants are about 1/16” long and commonly infest hospitals (where they can spread Staphylecoccus and Psuedomonas infection), nursing homes, apartment buildings, and restaurants.

Winged ants are often mistaken for termites, but ants have narrow thoraxes (mid-sections) while termites have more uniform bodies.

Marquee Pest Management offers free estimates because of how important it is to properly identify the species of ant, so that the infestation can be dealt with as effectively and as close to the nest as possible.