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Centurion’s Ant Control Specialists
Numerous owners of residential and commercial properties in Centurion, Pretoria and Johannesburg have their hands in their hair. Why? You may well ask. It’s because they find that their premises have recently been or are currently virtually overrun with hordes of invasive ants – little critters which they’ve done their level best to eradicate, generally with little or no success.
Force of Numbers
Sheer force of numbers plays a large part in the nuisance value of these tiny pests, who live in subterranean colonies which may consist of 300 000 individuals or more, if food is plentiful. When a colony becomes too large, it’s time to find a new habitat in which a new colony will be established, and that’s how an area which was relatively ant free at one stage, becomes a veritable ant haven, and very rapidly too.
Stages of Development
Each colony has a resident queen. She lays vast numbers of eggs in her lifetime, which may span many years. Within about two to six weeks, larvae hatch from the eggs. The length of the larval stage depends on conditions and the availability of food. Ever hungry larvae are fed by workers for a few weeks or months, after which they develop into pupae, from which adults emerge.
A New Home
Adults are often observed carrying pupae along ant “scent” or pheromone trails when they’re establishing a new colony. Mistakenly, some people assume that these pupae are actually eggs.
If one interrupts the strength of the pheromone laid down on the trail by rubbing a finger across their pathway, those already en route appear “confused”, but only for a few moments. They quickly lay down more pheromones for the rest to follow, even if it means circumventing the break, and the march continues.
Home Invasion
Once they’ve decided that your home appeals to them, the invasion is on and it’s definitely time to adopt effective control measures. It’s time to call in professional pest controllers, to be more specific – the expert – the Bugman and his specialised team.
An ant home invasion usually indicates a search for or source of water and food for the colony, which is why their presence is most often detected in the kitchen, although not exclusively so; it’s not unusual to find them elsewhere, even in the bedroom.
The latter may indicated that ants have established a colony in the wall cavities, under the floor or under exterior paving. Little piles of excavated sand indicate the presence of a nest, particularly evident during summer months.
Generally, attempting to eliminate or control ants by means of sprays and other poisons obtained from a supermarket or hardware store in Centurion or elsewhere is ineffective, really a waste of time and money.
Most commercially available products typically dissipate quite quickly, becoming ineffective. Ants may avoid the treated area for a while, but usually return, especially if you’ve left any exposed foodstuffs out and accessible.
Bugman’s Control Measures
Our pest controllers, registered with the Department of Agriculture, are trained to recognise exactly which ant species is creating problems for you and what treatment would be most effective in order to control the population.
Treatment may include highly effective residual sprays (not commercially available), dusts and/or gel baits. All pesticides are SABS approved, and our professional Centurion pest control services conform to the highest possible standards of quality and safety – your best control bet. |
