The exterminators study is among a few to examine a phenomenon Seattle king county Washington to have long suspected: that the majority of ants invasions occur during winter rainstorms and summer droughts.
“Our goal was to determine if there really is an association between ant invasions and weather,” says Gordon, “and if so, does pesticide use affect the intensity of infestation.”
To find out, the Ants exterminators team surveyed 69 households in the heart of Seattle King County Washington – from Redmond City to Kirkland-between January 2004 and July 2006. Each week, participants were asked to estimate how many ants invaded their home and whether pesticides were used to control the invaders. Gordon and her co-workers also collected weekly temperature and rainfall data from nearby weather stations for comparison.
The results of the survey demonstrated an “impressive” relationship between weather and infestation, according to the reseachers of the study.
“Ants are most likely to enter homes in cold, wet conditions, typically in the winter in seattle king county Washington,” they write, noting that a smaller peak in the level of infestation occurs during hot, dry conditions – typically in August and September.
To control infestations, participants in the study reported using a variety of ant killers:
Cleansers, such as bleach, ammonia, soap, Windex and Formula 409;
Herbal and natural products, including hot pepper, chili oil, lemon and vinegar;
Sprays, such as Raid, Black Flag and Hot Shot;
Baits and traps, including Combat, Grant’s and Ortho Ant Kill.
It turned out that none of these products were effective in preventing ant invasions, although some did reduce insect abundance when infestation was high following a rainstorm or during periods of drought. Even then, sprays proved to be only slightly more potent than household cleansers and baits in getting rid of ants, while herbal and natural remedies were the least effective.
“Our study shows that black ant behavior is clearly tied to the weather,” says Gordon, noting that ants probably invade kitchens and dining rooms to escape searing heat or excessive dampness – and there is little we can do to stop them.
“When you don’t have ants in your house, putting out pesticides won’t make any difference,” she concludes. “The most reliable cause of a decline in infestation may be a change in the weather. They come in because of the weather, and they go out because of the weather.”
Reason why black ants are so difficult to control is because of their unusual biology, observes Gordon.
“Unlike other species, Little black sugar ants have many queens, and the workers can go back to any nest, so it’s impossible to kill off a colony by killing off one queen,” he notes.
Unfortunately, adds Gordon, most pesticides are designed to eliminate ants on direct contact from the applicator – a strategy that not only is ineffective on ants but also damages the environment.
“Pesticides are toxic to people, to our drinking water and lake Washington,” he says. “By putting out ant killers when there’s no infestation, we’re only harming ourselves.”
Gordon advocates using alternative methods to eliminate marauding ants during cycles of rain and drought.
“Ants drink the liquid bait, store it in their bodies and regurgitate it back in the colony where the queen, her young ones and other worker ants eat the poison and eventually die,” he suggests. “I also recommend ,Home infestations are often traced to the lawn, so treating the lawn often solves the problem. A chemical barrier is a temporary but effective ant spray treatment if applied around the outside of the house.”
Gordon is quick to point out that cleanliness has little to do with ants invasions. The insects might go after leftovers on your dining room table, she says, but it’s the weather – not the food – that brings them into your home in the first place.
Ants enter homes primarily in search of food, typically looking for sweets or substances containing protein, and eliminating these sources can help keep them at bay. Although ants have replaced cockroaches as one of the most difficult structural pests to control, preventative measures play a major role in avoiding infestations. NPMA offers the following tips to prevent and handle infestations:
Wipe up crumbs and spills immediately
Store garbage in sealed containers and remove from the home frequently
Keep food packages closed or sealed and store products in tightly lidded containers
Repair holes or gaps in window and door screens
Seal cracks and holes on the outside of the home including entry points for utilities and pipes
Keep tree branches and shrubbery well trimmed and away from the house
Replace weather-stripping and repair loose mortar around basement foundation and windows
If you suspect an ant or any pest infestation in your home, contact a licensed pest professional to inspect, identify and treat the problem
As much a part of spring and summer as picnics and barbeques, ants begin to move indoors in search of food as the weather warms. According to a survey by the National Pest Management Association more than half of consumers name ants as their top pest concern. With more than 700 species and huge colonies, it’s no wonder that an ant infestation is of the utmost concern in the warmer months.
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