Types of Ants That May Invade Your Business

Ants can cause many kinds of problems in a business if they are allowed to invade and spread. And since many species exist, it is crucial to know how they behave and how they look. So if you have ants in your business and need help eliminating them, please contact the best commercial pest control companies Cedar Rapids, Iowa has to offer. Doing so will give you an insight into the kind of help that you need to keep your business in great shape.

Black House Ant – A Very Common Ant

The most common type of and invading a business is likely the black house ant, one of the most common in the country. While their name would seem to indicate that they prefer residential areas, they will invade any building that provides shelter and a rich source of food. Most members of this species should max out at about three millimeters in length and rarely get much more significant than that.

Like many ants, they are very attracted to sweets and will invade any areas in your business that contain them. However, some variations in this species prefer meat and grease, which draws them to restaurants and other similar companies. The biggest issue with this species is their breeding speed – expect millions in an invasion – and their propensity to spread diseases.

While these ants aren’t aggressive towards humans and rarely bite, they will crawl through disgusting areas and get diseases and bacteria like salmonella attached to their exoskeleton. As they move through a building, they will spread these diseases and cause a lot of potential harm. Therefore, you need to reach out to commercial pest control companies if you want to get rid of them in your company.

Argentine Ant – Biting Brown Ants

Argentine Ants typically appear in their most massive numbers around summer and late autumn. That’s because workers are produced during the spring, and their numbers continue to grow during the warmer months. They are quite small – around just 1.6 millimeters in length – and light to dark brown. You won’t see any swarming near your facility because they typically mate only in the nest.
However, you might see these ants carrying a variety of different food in and around your business. They will try to get sweets when possible – so keep your sugars and candies locked away – but will also grab fruits, cereal, and some bits of meat. You may even see them carrying some dead insects, and they are very aggressive towards other ant species and people – you may also get bit by one.

If you see these ants in your facility, you are likely to see them fighting with other ants for territory. They often wipe out whole nests and take them over, which can be both good and bad. Good because you’ve lost one type of ant but bad because Argentine Ants are usually more aggressive. Talk to commercial pest control companies about these ants when you see them in your facility.

Ghost Ant – A Voracious Breeder

The Ghost Ant is a very well-named pest – at just one-sixteenth of an inch in length with a pale and nearly translucent appearance, they can be almost impossible to notice. However, they will use this hard-to-find nature to their advantage in your business. They are a continuously breeding colony, which means that they don’t have a considerable die-off when the breeding season comes.

As a result, the number of Ghost Ants that can live in your building is often staggering. They are particularly drawn to sweets and grease, though they will also find insects that produce honeydew and coral them as a way of feeding the colony. Look for them in very small places in your facility, particularly in flowerpots and inside of walls. They may occupy several different nests per one colony as well.

Look in areas with high levels of moisture, such as kitchens and bathrooms, and anywhere that may have candy or meat grease. These ants often prefer to flock to these areas and will expand out as they do. Thankfully, most commercial pest control companies fully understand the problems that these ants cause. They can create a myriad of unique treatment options that help to eliminate them for good and keep you and your facility safe from pests.

Bulldog Ant – A Big and Aggressive Ant

When your business gets invaded by the Bulldog Ant, you’ll probably know it pretty quickly. These ants are nearly one-inch in length – 20 millimeters or so – and are often red or black in color. And they are among the most aggressive type that you’ll find in your business. They will swarm en masse if their nest is disturbed and aren’t afraid of people. Bites and worse may occur if you aren’t careful.
As a result, you need to take an invasion by these ants seriously when it occurs in your business. Having a nest of Bulldog Ants swarming on your guests or even your employees is no laughing matter. Thankfully, these ants don’t invade businesses too often but prefer to live outside. That said, they may still make it inside of your business or even annoy your customers outside.

Therefore, it is critical to contact commercial pest control companies sooner, rather than later, to ensure that things go smoothly. If you don’t take the time to eliminate them from your facility, you may find yourself on the wrong side of a lawsuit. People attacked by ants may sue you because you didn’t eliminate the ants that attacked them. And there’s a chance that they could win. So get rid of Bulldog Ants right away.

Don’t Let Ants Take Over – Get Commercial Pest Control!

So if ants have invaded your business and you want help from the best commercial pest control companies that you can find, please contact us at D&R Pest Control right away to learn more. Our experts have years of experience with pest control and will do what is necessary to help. They can identify any problematic ants and eliminate them quickly and efficiently from your facility and its grounds.