When ants take over your house it can be more that frustrating. Some ants even pack a punch with their bite. No matter what kind of a nuisance these pests are, they have some interesting characteristics that might blow your mind. Effective Pest Services is here to share some interesting facts about ants that you may not know, along with some tips to keep these interesting pests out of your home.
Ants Have Superhuman Strength
You may not realize this, but ants can lift almost 50 times their body weight. Those crumbs they carry take almost super human strength to lift. Ants have thicker muscles than animals because of their size which allows them to do the work necessary for their colony to survive.
Some Ants Use Their Heads to Protect Ant Colonies
As crazy as this sounds, in some species, soldier ants actually use their heads to protect the colony. Their heads are designed so they can close off the entrance to the nest and keep intruders out. When the worker ants return to the nest they touch the top of the soldier ant’s head and through touch, they know the worker is part of the colony.
Ants May have a Better Sense of Smell than Dogs!
In order for ants to find the food needed for the colony to survive, they have to have an excellent sense of smell. The colony consists of several different ant categories who all have a specific function for the colony. The scout ants go and hunt for food. They leave behind a pheromone trail for the foraging ants to follow in their quest for food. The foraging ants leave the same pheromone trail to make the path more clear to the others and they will continue to go back and forth until the entire food source is gone.
Ants May Be the First Farmers
Ants have been practicing faming much longer than we have. In fact, they have some techniques that are nothing short of genius when it comes to farming. These farming ants secrete chemicals that actually protect their crops from mold and other issues. They were even the first to use manure to boost their crops.
What Will Keep Ants Away?
Here are some tips to help you keep these irritating pests out of your home.
• Seal Entry Points- It doesn’t take large opening for an ant to gain access into your home. Check the foundation, screen doors/windows, and siding for any holes or cracks that an ant could crawl through.
• Properly Store Food- Ants are attracted to sugary and greasy food as well as any crumbs. Keep your kitchen clean and store food in sealed containers to avoid ant infestation.
• Fix Any Leaking Pipes- If there is no water source for ants, they can’t survive. Don’t leave any pipes leaking to avoid attracting ants.
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If you seem to have an ant problem even though you have followed all the steps above, it is time to call the professional pest control technicians at Effective Pest Services to completely get rid of the problem for you. Call us today!