Professional Residential, Commercial & Institutional Pest Control Services in Eastern & Central Missouri
Call or Text 636-297-1335
Call or Text 636-297-1335

Ants

Ants

HomeAll Services...Ants

Ants

HomeAll Services...Ants
Ants are social insects, and this type of behavior has enabled them to become one of the most abundant and successful groups of insects. While more 450 types of ants inhabit North America, only 10 species are known to invade homes in Missouri.

But, it only take one type of species to wreck havoc at your home or business.

Biology & Life Cycle

Depending on the species, an ant colony has either a single queen or multiple queens. The queen’s primary task is to lay eggs while workers (mostly female) take care of the eggs and larvae, build and defend the nest and locate food to maintain the colony.
Pharaoh Ant
Pharaoh Ant
Odorous House Ant
Odorous House Ant

Habitats in Missouri

Depending on the species, an ant colony has either a single queen or multiple queens. The queen’s primary task is to lay eggs while workers (mostly female) take care of the eggs and larvae, build and defend the nest and locate food to maintain the colony.

Diet & the Search for Food

Ants are omnivores and search for a variety of foods. The search for food is the primary reason ants enter homes and buildings, thus becoming pests. The search for food typically involves individual ants wandering away from the nest.

When an ant discovers food, she takes a straight route back to the nest and lays a scent trail as she returns. Other workers follow her scent trail to the discovered food and recruit large numbers of their nestmates to quickly exploit it.

Request a Free Pest Inspection

Request a Free Pest Inspection

Or call or text us at 636-297-1335

Or call or text us at 636-297-1335

Management & Eradication

Eliminating an ant colony requires eliminating the queen and the workers. If you accomplish both of these, you can consider your efforts successful. If you only eliminate workers, the queen will produce more and your infestation will return. If you only eliminate the queen, workers will continue to invade your home.

As described above, when an ant discovers a food source, worker ants form trails. Following this trail can provide clues about what the ants are feeding on, where the colony is located and how they are getting into the home.

Some of the more common species in Missouri include the Odorous House Ant, Pharaoh Ant, Acrobat Ant, Pavement Ant, Large Yellow Ant, Field Ants and Carpenter Ant.

Please visit the University of Missouri’s Ants webpage for more information about ants.

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