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Ant's and the Best Control Methods

Ants are the hands down, number one household and garden pest invaders. They can be a real nuisance but there are many simple, cost efficient ways to rid yourself of their presence.

Author: Dan Ezell

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There are many kinds of ants that are common around the house . They are brown, black or reddish and range in sizes from 1/32 to an inch long. Their most recognizable physical feature is their thin waist between the abdomen and the thorax. They have elbowed antennae. They form colonies in the soil near the house foundation, under concrete, in small dark spaces, in structural wood, in the yard or garden and in trees. They produce thousands of eggs. The eggs are laid continuously throughout the spring, summer and fall, and the queen may live as long as 15 years.

Some ants have wings and are often confused with winged termites. Distinguishing features are the thin waist of the ant. The termite has straight antennae opposed to the elbowed antennae of the ant. The ants front wings or forewings are larger than their hind wings. The termites wings are equal in size and shape.

Carpenter ants are the most common of the ants to cause homeowners to seek help. Carpenter ants are the largest found in Ohio. Wingless queens are about 5/8 inch, while winged queens are 3/4 inch, large major workers 1/2 inch and small minor workers 1/4 inch. Workers have some brown on them, while queens are black. Workers have large heads and a small thorax while adult swarmers have a smaller head and large thorax.

Carpenters are often found in kitchens, bathrooms, and living areas. They are often thought to eat wood but they actually remove quantities of wood to make room for nesting. This can cause structural problems.

Ants by themselves don't do a lot of damage to your yard or garden but they are indirectly responsible for other issues in your landscape. Ants find favor in sweets and they are particularly fond of honeydew which is produced by the aphid. To keep a constant replenishing supply of honeydew ants will kidnap a herd of aphids and hold them captive near the nest. These aphids will then attack your plants. It's been said time after time and one more time; if you can control the aphids you can control the ants.

Dan Ezell

Aphid control is discussed in the sections named "Common Arborvitae Pests" and "Rose Bush with Yellowed Leaves"at http://www.thelittlegreenapple.com/Pest_Control_Pages.html

For the best methods to eradicate ants visit us at www.thelittlegreenapple.com/articles/Ant-Control.html

About Author

Dan Ezell is a long time lawn and garden enthusiast. He has 28 years experience in lawn and garden care from regions of South Florida to Northeast Ohio. His knowledge and unquenchable thirst for information will be displayed and constantly updated throughout the pages of The Little Green Apple dot com.

All material is available and free to use provided proper credit and links are displayed.

http://www.thelittlegreenapple.com/

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Ant's and the Best Control Methods