Key facts about ants
Worker ants are the ones most likely to be seen. Males and females are produced at certain times of the year. The so-called flying ants have wings and are common in the summer. The workers, about 2-5mm in length, are black/brown in colour. The females and males are larger in body size and are about 6.5 – 10.00 mm for the female and 3.5 – 4.5 mm for the male. Garden ants generally nest outdoors in sandy soils but travel widely in search of food.
They become a pest when they enter homes in search of food. They are particularly attracted to sweet substances. Garden ants become a nuisance because of their foraging habits. These pests cause food waste and contamination. They walk across unpleasant and dirty areas during their search for food. They are therefore thought of as unacceptable in our London homes and need ant control treatment.
How do you know if you have ants?
Ants are small industrious insects. The reason why ants sneak into your house is because they are looking for food and shelter. Some of the most popular types are the black garden ant and carpenter ants. Although common black ants are not dangerous, they are known by their invasive nature. They will come into your kitchen looking for sugary sweet foodstuff. On the other hand, carpenter ants are more of a hazard because they destroy building structures made of wood. This can compromise the safety of your property.
There are several signs to be seen when you home is infested by ants.
- Seeing ants in your kitchen or any area where food is stored or prepared is a sign of potential infestation.
- The presence of a trail of ants marching across the garden towards your house shows these insects are on the hunt for food or rotten wood, depending on the species.
- Small piles of earth on your lawn as the ants make their nests on the ground.
- Sounds of insect activity in the walls or under floors at night.
- Hearing a hollow sound when you knock on the walls can be an indication that you already have a problem with carpenter ants or termites.
- Wood shaving dust piles are other signs of carpenter ants as they burrow into woodwork in the house. These ants don’t eat wood; they carve out holes to create a nest.
- Damp areas attract ants. You are likely to see stray ants in wet areas like the bathroom or kitchen when your home is infested.
Diamond ant control London
How do we control ants?
Our ant control treatment programme in London consists of two visits. Our technician will initially talk through the problems you are experiencing and explain what our initial treatment entails. He will then carry out a thorough inspection of your premises prior to any treatment and assess the level and extent of the infestation.
Black Garden Ants are normally controlled using residual insecticides namely sprays and dusts. In domestic London properties we would normally treat the kitchen and garden areas where the ants may have originally entered the premises.
Once our treatment is complete we will detail our work in an inspection report and leave this with you, our technician will then arrange a convenient time to carry out a follow up treatment.
Our follow up service
Here at Diamond Pest Control we pride ourselves on our thoroughness and attention to detail. Our follow up visits are normally carried out 7-10 days after the initial treatment. A residual insecticide is applied to all high risk areas. Once these treatments have been carried out our technician will detail our work in an inspection report and advise on ways of preventing garden ants in the home.
We offer a guarantee that lasts to the end of the calendar year, should you experience any issues after the treatment is completed