Red ants

Small red or red ants are common uninvited guests in homes. These insects originated in hot countries in the 19th century and settled throughout Europe.

Now you can meet house ants, which are also called "Pharaoh", they can be anywhere. Their tiny size, about 2 mm, allows them to climb through the most microscopic cracks in houses.

Insects can spoil food, clothing, household appliances and spread infectious diseases.

Features of lifestyle and reasons for the appearance of a house

Ants are social creatures; they never live alone. There are several reasons why red ants appear in an apartment.

"Robbers"

Availability of food for them - open containers with food, honey and jam in jars on the table, leftover food in pets’ bowls, and so on
Unsanitary living conditions: scattered garbage, food crumbs, dirt, humidity.
Sources of water: flowing taps and pipes, puddles near the kitchen sink, under the bathroom, etc.
A dirty space that gives ants the opportunity to exist unnoticed.

On a note! To prevent red ants from getting into your apartment, do not give them the opportunity to find sources of water and food.

Cleaning

But it is important to clean up the bathroom

Spring-cleaning. You need to inspect the things in the bathroom, throw out everything unnecessary. Go under the bathtub with a rag, get into all the corners, take out the garbage, wipe off the dirt. Wipe surfaces and walls with disinfectants (Domestos), not forgetting the joints and crevices.
Microclimate. Change the microclimate in the bathroom. Remove all water and wipe the bathroom and sink dry. Ventilate the room as often as possible to avoid dampness. Buy and install a fan heater in your house. Don't forget about the heated towel rail. Make sure that taps and pipes do not drip.
Protection. In an apartment building, insects move from one apartment to another through cracks or ventilation grilles. Protect your bathroom from intruders by sealing any cracks and placing mesh over the vents.
Use ant repellents to kill them or scare them away from your apartment.

General cleaning will help solve the ant problem

Where do they come from?

Small red ants do not immediately appear in large numbers in the apartment. A scout ant is on a mission in search of a new colony.

If, for example, in the kitchen he finds leftover food and water, that is, suitable conditions, then a group of working ants, led by the queen, appears in the room.

They carry a certain number of eggs, larvae and pupae and build a new nest.

Most often, house ants pass through thin holes in walls and floors:

from neighbors;
from the basement;
from interfloor ceilings;
from garbage chutes;
from nearby houses.

This is useful to know

The historical homeland of red fire ants is Brazil. Their unintentional migration to the United States occurred in the thirties of the last century. Merchant ships unloading at the docks of the Alabama seaport of Mobile brought them along with goods infested with ants. The consequences of this invasion turned out to be unpredictable: over six decades, they occupied 17 North American states, almost completely displacing the populations of local ants.

Similarly, red fire ants were introduced into Australia in 2001. Three years later they were brought to Taiwan. Around the same time, they appeared in China and Hong Kong.

What do they eat and what harm do they do?

Red house ants are omnivores. For the process of reproduction and development, they need proteins and carbohydrates. To extract nutrients, they can consume and spoil materials such as:

natural fabrics (cotton, linen);
leather goods (cow, pig);
wire insulation.

Ants carry infections that are dangerous to humans:

salmonellosis;
coli;
dysentery;
typhus

House ants can carry diseases of pets:

panleukopenia;
enteritis;
plague,
they carry microscopic eggs of blood-sucking parasites such as fleas.

Description of the insect

The red ant is a hymenoptera whose dimensions do not exceed 5 mm. The body can have different color intensities from reddish to dark brown. There is a clear division into the head, chest and abdomen, connected by a thin bridge, which ensures mobility and maneuverability.

Ant body parts:

The head has powerful jaws, with which the ants chew the body of the victim and carry their larvae, pieces of food or building material. Two complex compound eyes are located on the sides of the head, and three simple small ones are located in the center in the form of an inverted triangle. But the main sense organs are the antennae, with which the insect feels objects, creating a complete picture.
On the chest there are three pairs of fairly powerful legs, the ends of which are equipped with curved claws, allowing them to move along a vertical, flat surface.
The segmented abdomen is the largest part of the body, as it houses the reproductive and digestive organs. The abdomen of the worker ant is equipped with a sharp sting. With its help, he can not only defend himself, but also paralyze his victim by injecting poison.

How to deal with red ants?

If you find red ants in your home, don’t think twice about how to get rid of them. The first step is to block all access routes for insects to the house.

Seal any existing gaps in the windows.
Fill wall panel joints, gaps behind baseboards, etc. Polyurethane foam, silicone sealant.

On a note! Only 10% of the total number of ants that have settled in the house are visible on the surface. These are working individuals who obtain food, which is taken to the anthill. First of all, the “queen” gets food, then all the other individuals.

Insecticides against ants have a cumulative effect. Their toxic effect gradually spreads to all people and allows them to get rid of the entire population over time. The key to a successful ant war is to destroy the queens, which give birth to new generations of ants.

Species diversity

There are up to 300 species of ants in Russia, most of which live in forested areas. Insects are not easy to classify. This is due to the existence of doubles and hybrids that are difficult to distinguish by appearance.

There are the following common types of ants:

Red forest

The red ant is the most recognizable inhabitant of Russian forests. It is these goosebumps that build the ant domes that are found near every tree. A representative of large size. The body length is sometimes 14 mm. The color of the insect may change. The color of the lower body and chest is rich red, black-brown in the belly area.

Forest ants are predatory. Nutrition basis:

sweet secretions of aphids;
insects;
small invertebrates.

Important information! The species acts as a forest protector. Can destroy various insects that threaten green spaces. In one day, the animals of one house bring more than 20,000 pest pupae.

These ants are classified as an endangered species; their numbers are constantly decreasing. Humans are partly to blame for destroying and capturing animals to prepare the folk remedy.

Pharaonic

The birthplace of goosebumps is Egypt. Working animals are yellow in color, without wings. Grows no more than 2 mm. Males are black, with wings, the body length reaches 3.5 mm. The color of females is yellow-brown, the body is 4.5 mm.

Habitat: dark, damp areas, behind wallpaper, fabrics, and household appliances. The anthill does not have a generally accepted type; the ants live in mixed nests, so it is difficult to remove insects.

The best means to get rid of pharaoh ants in an apartment

Interesting fact! The mixture of acids secreted by pharaoh ants has a fatal effect on bedbugs. If there is a high content of goosebumps in the room, the bedbugs die.

Meadow

Medium size variety 5-10 mm. On the body, which is covered with coarse hairs in front of the chest, there is a spot with precise dark features. Meadow insects are similar in description to forest goosebumps. They live in the forest in clearings, meadows, and edges. Meadow individuals prefer to feed on:

aphid secretions;
dead invertebrates;
live insects.

Interesting fact! The peculiarity of the species is the ability to reproduce twice a year. Active copulation is observed towards the end of spring and beginning of autumn.

Nomadic

0 This type of ant is called nomadic because of the lifestyle of its representatives. Insects do not have their own nest; they constantly travel, stopping only for a while to replenish their population. Then, from their own bodies, they construct temporary housing that resembles a large lump. In its center the queen lays eggs. With the advent of young offspring, the ant family “lifts anchor” and goes in search of another feeding territory. Interesting! Enormous fertility is the main feature of the queen of nomadic ants. Every day, about 130,000 individuals are born from the eggs she lays. Nomads are relatively large individuals (their body length reaches up to 15 mm), which is why they often find themselves in the ranking of the largest ants in the world. What catches your eye is the frightening-looking jaws of the insect, the size of which even exceeds the dimensions of the head. The female is larger than the male; during the period of laying eggs, her body size can reach up to 5 cm. Photos of nomads can be seen below. The insects are found in Africa, Central and South Asia, and North and South America. They are called killer ants because the nomads destroy all living creatures they come across on their way. These can be not only small insects; representatives of this species are able to feed even on small rodents and reptiles.

Yellow ants

Another species that also actively parasitizes the human home. Yellow ants have another, more characteristic name - pharaoh ants. And the reason is that they were first discovered in Egyptian crypts, where the pharaohs rested.

Yellow ants prefer dark, damp and warm places: cracks in walls, flooring, in household appliances and behind peeling wallpaper. Within a human home, this species organizes a whole system of nests that are connected to each other. It is difficult to get rid of these pests: if you destroy one nest, the insects simply run to another.

The red ant came to our latitudes straight from South America, or rather, it was brought from there. People tend to call this species fire ants. The body of an adult individual has a length of 3 to 6 millimeters. Their home is soil or other places with high humidity. The diet is based on plants, young seedlings and other insects. Red ants can be quite aggressive, and the poison they secrete can help defeat a larger enemy.

Forest ants are often mistaken for red ants because of their similar color. In fact, this is a separate species of insects, found, as you might guess, in the forest. Living in the wild, they are true predators whose favorite food is caterpillars.

Bullet

0 These species of ants are not found in Russia; their habitat is the tropical forests of Nicaragua and Paraguay. Representatives of this species build their nests in tree trunks, trying to disguise them with branches and leaves. 0 Bullet ants are very dangerous insects. Their bite is accompanied by severe pain that does not subside throughout the day. The injured areas become charred and turn black. The consequences of such ant attacks are the occurrence of tumors, paralysis, chills and weakness.

Bulldogs

0 Ants of this breed began to be called bulldogs because of their large jaw, thanks to which insects obtain food. They also use it to push off the ground and can jump up to 0.3 m. Adult ants are good swimmers. The larvae eat the food obtained by the workers themselves. Representatives of this species prefer a tropical climate, so they can only be found on the Australian continent. In appearance, they are very similar to wasps: they have a large body, the size of which reaches up to 30 mm. You can see what a bulldog ant looks like in the photo. The bulldog ant poses a serious danger to humans. The consequence of its bite can be an allergic reaction, and even anaphylactic shock.

Black garden

A common species is black garden ants. A large number of them inhabit the territories of Portugal, Great Britain, and Russia. The black or dark brown body of the insect has many short hairs. The main food product is sweet honeydew, separated by aphids.

If compared with the reaper, the black ant, although it has the same body color, will differ in size. The black ant is considered a garden pest, as it breeds aphids and scale insects on plants.

Interesting! A queen queen can live up to 30 years.

Palefoot

The habitat of the pale-footed ant is the foothill zone, forests. It can live near the banks of rivers and construction canals in the desert. Individuals are flexible, so they get along under the bark of trees, stumps, and make nests on the ground.

Insects are capable of destroying soil insect larvae. The predator obtains the corpses of insects; it actively attacks living organisms with soft integuments. Mating years are recorded in late spring and summer. The founding of a family is carried out by the female independently.

Woodworms

Ants are often observed on trees where they collect honeydew. The name wood borer was obtained due to the construction of farms by individuals in the bark of trees. When animals gnaw out passages and chambers, they cause great harm to the forest.

The insect's body is black and shiny. There are such ants with a light sternum and a dark brown head. It reaches 10 mm in length. They prefer to consume aphid secretions. For the construction of a house, rotten stumps, wood from fallen trees, and old wooden buildings are selected. Animals descend to the ground to move to a tree located nearby.

Why are they difficult to remove?

Small red ants form giant colonies in one house. In addition, anthill nests are built of a diffuse type. This means that a large number of outlets are located separately, but are interconnected. To get rid of an ant infestation, it is necessary to destroy all nests in the building.

Other reasons causing difficulties in the fight.

In a pharaoh ant colony, there is not just one queen producing offspring, but several dozen, in some cases several hundred, “queens.” New members of the community are born very quickly (38–42 days from the moment of laying eggs, depending on the “caste”) and in large numbers. Red ants do not hibernate; swarming occurs all year round.
In general, the colony is very numerous: from 3 thousand to 350 thousand individuals.
Ants can live in any cavity: in the folds of clothing, in dishes, in appliances, etc.
Part of the ant community (females, workers with larvae and pupae) can migrate to another place and establish a new colony.

Treatment of bites

Since the poison released by a red ant bite is extremely toxic, the skin in this area will turn red and hurt for some time. The biggest danger in this case is infection. As a rule, the bite site is very itchy, and scratching can quickly introduce pathogens into the wound. When bitten by an ant, the procedure should be as follows:

The bite site should be thoroughly washed with plenty of soap and water.
Treat the wound with a disinfectant (hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, cologne).
If a person is prone to allergies, taking antihistamines would be appropriate.
You can get rid of burning and pain with the help of special ointments that have an analgesic effect.

If there are more than ten bites on the skin, you should immediately consult a doctor. Ant venom in large quantities can be life-threatening.

Traditional methods

Control methods used by the public before the invention of chemical insecticides were based on the use of pharmaceutical borax or boric acid (available over the counter).

To get rid of ants, baits that are placed along the path of insects are effective. Products with a strong attractive odor are mixed with brown, approximate proportion: for 1 glass of tinder, 1 tablespoon of the drug. It can be used:

sugar or honey solution;
ground meat;
boiled potatoes.

The smell of ants is scary:

vinegar;
citrus;
spices (turmeric, pepper, cloves).

Sprinkle or spray the surfaces on which pests move with an aqueous solution.

Store products

Modern industrial insecticides will help get rid of ants in a short time.

The aerosol product “Raptor” is sprayed onto areas where insects accumulate.
Long-acting gels such as “FAS” or “Raptor” are applied in dotted lines around the perimeter of the room.
Plaster "Mashenka" is designed to treat an area of 25 square meters. The product is highly effective and very affordable.
Raid traps are placed on ant trails, which can destroy the entire colony in a week.
Delicia powder can be used in two ways: dissolve in water and spray behind baseboards, under furniture, etc., or spray where insects have been observed.

Main difficulties

If you decide to permanently remove black insects, remember that it is better to do this together with your neighbors.
You also need to try to find the queen with the larvae, that is, the nest. Indeed, even if all the worker ants are exterminated, the queen is able to quickly restore the population size. Do not leave food uncovered, especially meat and sweets. Floors must be washed by adding chlorine, soap or vinegar to the water. It is necessary to carry out more frequent inspections of cabinets and mezzanines, inspect the wallpaper, and seal any cracks found. Clean the premises in a timely manner, wash the dishes, take out the trash can, remove leftover food and crumbs from the table. If a nest is discovered, which is not always possible, it is advised to destroy it.

Look for an anthill under baseboards, in flooring areas, behind tiles, and wallpaper. Difficulties in the process of killing insects arise if you use chemicals and there are small children or animals in the home. They are able to taste the bait or inhale aerosol vapors. Therefore, they should be removed from the room during treatment, and the poison should be placed in inaccessible places.

Prevention of ants

After successfully getting rid of small parasites, the main preventive measure will be maintaining cleanliness.

After eating, thoroughly clean all surfaces and sweep away any crumbs.
Store food waste in a bucket with a lid and dispose of it promptly.
Do not leave cooked food in an open container; store foods (sugar, cereals, etc.) in airtight jars.
Do not leave sources of water for ants: fix dripping faucets, dry the table and floor.
Regularly check ventilation ducts, baseboards, areas under furniture, stoves and behind the refrigerator for early signs of pest infestation.
Clean the ventilation openings periodically, for example, with an insect repellent pencil (crayon).