If you have not already noticed, ants are social insects. However, you do not want these small social creatures visiting your house. Rather than making a social call, ants normally access a home in search of food. If your home is close to a colony, it can be targeted. Just as people, ants want to find a place where they can find food in order to survive and that can protect them from the weather and predators.

Types of Ant Species in the UK

Ants leave behind scented trails. Therefore, in some instances, you can apply a disinfectant soap to stop their movement or keep them under control. It is also helpful to know what type of species of ant is invading your home. Technicians who provide pest control services in Bradford state that it never hurts to know more about the “enemy.”

Whilst there are around 11,000 ant species worldwide, fortunately the UK only plays host to about 50. The six most common species are black ants, yellow ants, red wood ants, Formica sanguinea, Myrmica, and small black stinging ants.

The Common Black Ant Is a Common Pest

The common black ant, best known to enter houses, frequently nests on patios or at the edge of a lawn. This prolific ant defends itself by using its jaw and formic acid. Colonies are quick-growing and can contain as many as 15,000 worker ants. However, the average number is normally half that amount. The ants consume sugary foods, other insects, nectar, and bodies of dead ants.

Ants reside in colonies inside a nest. During winter, the insects hibernate. Therefore, any pest problem disappears during the colder months of the year. However, as the weather begins to warm up, the ants begin to search for food. The Queen Ant rules the nest, so to speak, in this respect.

Plus, a Queen Ant must preside over a nest for a colony to survive. Therefore, the Queen Ant is larger than both the male ants and worker ants. Whilst the Queen Ant lives about 15 years, males survive only a few months.

Knowing the above facts can help you understand how ants interact. In order to keep them from interacting with you, call a pest control specialist for advice.