Know Your Enemy
Accurate identification of pests is as important as choosing the best preventive pest management available on the market today. Preventive Pest Control has compiled a list of most common pests to help you identify the problem.
Little Black Ant
(Monomorium minimum)
Characteristics
These ants are tiny little creatures that are only 1/25 to 1/20 inch in length and are jet black, hence the name little black ants.
Habitat
These ants are found in throughout the US. They will travel long distances from their nests site in order to find food. They are a known nuisance indoors and outdoors because they are mostly attracted to protein and sweets. They can be found in kitchens and even on picnic tables during summer.
Behavior
Although these ants are harmless to humans, they are a real nuisance. They can be found in kitchens in search of food. They will forage, scavenge and hunt for food any time of the day and night without the care of anyone watching them.
Food
These ants love to eat foods rich in protein such as meats. They also like, sweets, greasy foods, corn meal, and any type of food most people enjoy. When outdoors, they will take care of young aphids so that they can harvest its honeydew. They will also consume dead or living insects if they find them
Life Cycle
Little black ants are social insects that live in colonies with a queen or multiple queens. The colony starts with a female reproductive, swarm and mate with a male. The female and male both have wings. The female will shed her wings after mating while the male dies. Once the queen is fertilized, she will create her nest and then lay eggs. It only takes ten days for the egg to become an adult once it is hatched. After the first batch becomes adults, these workers will take care of the queen plus the larvae to continue the reproduction of workers.
Other Information and Tips
Most colonies of these ants are made outdoors. Although they travel long distances in search of food. Most homeowners feel that they are pesky insects that should be treated because they never stop from marching in and out of the house in search for food. In some cases, these ants can also create their nest indoors, which can cause a lot of trouble.
To get rid of these ants indoors, pesticides, dusts and baits can be given to get immediate control over them. Also, the kitchen should always be left cleaned every time it is used, so that it will not further attract pests. Outdoors, these pests can be treated by searching for the colony, then drenching it with hot water or liquid insecticide. But for large and difficult to solve infestation, it is highly recommended to get a professional pest control company to get rid of the ants and the nest for you.
Photo by April Nobile – www.AntWeb.org