Residents in Massachusetts are often surprised to find ants thriving on their property. The weather here offers a textbook environment for many types of pests and rodents. The most common type of ant found in Massachusetts is the black garden ant, also known by its scientific name – Lasius niger. It is part of the Formicidae family. You can learn more about this species by calling a local pest control service. Here’s a quick overview of your information.
How do black garden ants look?
Workers of the colony look brownish-black in color and usually measure 3-5 mm in length. The queens usually have stripes on the body and look browner in color. Queens can be as long as 15 mm and have two pairs of wings. After mating, the queen removes these wings and consumes the same for additional nutrition. Black ants live in a colony and have specific roles. The worker ants are females and are responsible for building the nest and foraging around for food. Each nest typically has just one queen. During the mating season, these ants develop wings and go to the sky for the perfect rendezvous, and the males die soon after mating.
Should you worry about black garden ants?
While black garden ants don’t pose an immediate threat to humans, you may still have to worry about these insects. Although not common, these ants can cause structural damage to properties at times. If you have kids and pets at home, you may want to consider remedies.
What can you do to prevent these ants?
First and foremost, seal all possible entries to the house. Make sure that you clean up the kitchen immediately after use and keep trash out of reach. If you have found a nest site, your best bet would be to pour boiling water. Ants leave pheromones behind to help other worker ants, and using a disinfectant could help get rid of that scent.
Should you call pest control?
It depends on whether you have been able to get rid of these insects through the ways listed above. It’s possible that you are not seeing these insect’s insight because black garden ants are great at hiding. If you hire a pest control company, they can investigate the property and check for signs of ants. Since they have the expertise and equipment to take care of the job, you can also expect a warranty.
Call pest control for black garden ants now!
