All The Different Ants That Can Invade Your Bradenton Home

Insects are some of the most diverse types of animals on the planet, and there’s tremendous diversity among even one type of insect. We are talking about ants. There are nuisance ants that can crawl all over your countertops and contaminate food, then there are dangerous ants that can pack painful bites and spread diseases. Nuisance or dangerous. Do you want either in your home?

Common Local Nuisance Ants

The most common types of ants found in our area are of the less threatening variety. These ants aren’t aggressive and they aren’t known to carry diseases or parasites, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a problem. All kinds of ants can contaminate areas of our Bradenton homes with bacteria, particularly when they root around in the garbage looking for morsels of food.

Here are some common area ants to be on the lookout for in Florida:

• White-footed ants: So-called for their very light-colored and thin feet, these ants have black or dark brown bodies. 
• Argentine ants: Light or dark brown in color, these ants can reproduce very quickly, thanks to the fact that their queens only need to mate one time to produce fertile eggs for life!
• Big-headed ants: One of the world’s most prominent home-invading species (particularly in Australia and Africa), these ants have, you guessed it, heads that are much larger than their other body segments.
• Ghost ants: These guys get their name from their transparent bodies and legs, which seem to vanish when they move around in the light. These ants emit a coconut-like odor when crushed.
• Thief ants: Also called grease ants or sugar ants, this variety is one of the smallest to invade homes. They get their name from their behavior of nesting near other ant colonies and stealing food, rather than foraging for themselves.

Dangerous Ant Species

Now that we’ve covered the relatively harmless varieties, it’s time to get into the scarier types of ants out there:

• Red imported fire ants: Some of the most aggressive ants around, these guys don’t actually bite but rather sting. They are easily provoked and their dirt-mounded nests should be avoided. While they can appear reddish, they range in brown tones, too.
• Caribbean crazy ants: This type gets its name from their erratic walking patterns they use when foraging for food. While they aren’t typically aggressive, these ants primarily eat seeds and fruit, meaning they are even more likely to contaminate food than other varieties.
• Pharaoh ants: Known for their ability to spread diseases, pharaoh ants are some of the hardest to control in the home because incorrect pesticide use or elimination methods can cause one colony to “bud” into several others. They resemble thief ants but are larger, with longer antennae.
• Carpenter ants: These common home-invading ants do so because they nest inside of wood and wooden homes have plenty of that! They are black in color and prefer waterlogged or damp wood -- abundant in coastal climates like ours.

Ant Removal Is For The Experts

With each different type of ant comes different problems and each requires different strategies and materials to effectively control them. That’s why it’s best to turn to the professionals when you notice the signs of an ant colony. The experts at Keller’s Pest Control can identify ant populations and formulate the best plan for eliminating them and preventing future infestations. Regular household inspections by the pros will also help make sure that ants don’t become a full-blown problem.

Don’t risk your home becoming a haven for any of these ant species, call Keller's for fast and effective ant control.