Black garden ants typically reside beneath bricks and flowerpots within garden spaces, but can also be found along pavements and curbs in urban areas. They have a tendency to enter homes in search of food.
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What Is Black Garden Ants?
Black garden ants are small ants that are commonly found in household gardens and outdoor spaces. They are typically black in colour and are attracted to sugary substances.
These ants form large colonies with a queen that lays eggs and thousands of worker ants that take care of various tasks such as foraging for food and maintaining the nest.
Identification
The queen ants of the black garden are black with dark brown or reddish-black legs and antennae. These queens can grow up to 9mm in length and live for as long as 29 years. In comparison, the worker ants are smaller, measuring between 3-5mm in length. They share the same black colouration and have reddish legs and antennae.
During the mating flight, which lasts around two to three hours, the fertile ants mate while in flight. Unfortunately, many of these ants fall prey to birds during this time. After the mating flight concludes, the male ants perish while the female ants discard their wings and construct individual chambers in suitable soil nests.
Following the mating flight, the new queen lays eggs and cares for the larvae until they mature into adults. As the larvae grow, the queen prepares her workers to gather food, nurture the young, and safeguard the eggs. At the onset of summer, the queen lays specialized eggs that eventually develop into fertile-winged males and females.
Subsequently, these fertile adults embark on a mating flight, and the females who successfully mate become prepared to establish fresh colonies.
The Threat Ants Pose
Although ants do not possess the capacity to transmit diseases like flies, they tend to collect bacteria from unclean surfaces they traverse. For instance, if worker ants come into contact with a trash bin or waste material and then traverse your kitchen counter, they are liable to spread germs. Hence, it is crucial to prevent them from entering your home.
Prevention
Preventing the entry of these ants into your home is best achieved by sealing all access points such as doors, skirting boards, tiles, and wall cavities. Any necessary repairs should be promptly undertaken to prevent these creatures from gaining access.
Since kitchen floors often have crumbs or open cereal bags, it is vital to keep them clean to deter black garden ants. Additionally, pet food that remains uneaten should be promptly removed from homes with pets, as this may also attract ants to your property.
Black Garden Ants Removal Services
Tom’s Pest Control specialises in delivering high-quality pest control services for both residential and commercial properties. If you suspect that your property is infested with black garden ants, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Our team of skilled and knowledgeable exterminators will conduct a thorough inspection of your property to identify the areas where these pests are hiding. Based on the extent of the infestation, we will implement effective strategies to eliminate these creatures from your home or business for good.
While providing the best possible Ant pest control services is our top priority, we never compromise on your safety. Our team uses safe products and techniques to eradicate black garden ants and their colonies from your property, ensuring that you and your family are not harmed in any way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Do Black Garden Ants Eat?
The diet of black garden ants is not restricted to a specific type of food found in your residence. These unwelcome creatures are known to consume a variety of things, ranging from fruits and seeds to leftover meals. Moreover, these ants are inclined towards devouring other small insects, as evidenced by a trail of ants found on a deceased insect. Black garden ants also have a preference for feeding on the sweet exudates generated by aphids.
Where Do They Live?
Dry soil and humus are the preferred nesting locations for black garden ants, although it’s not uncommon to encounter them in other areas such as flower beds, lawns, and beneath paving stones. These ants are adept at searching for food and can travel extensively, leaving trails across soil and vegetation.
How do I Identify These Ants?
The ant workers may be diminutive, but their slender waists are an impressive sight to behold. These tiny creatures typically have a brown-black hue and lack wings, although there is a distinct flying adult species that is more noticeable.
When comparing the two forms of ants, the differences in their shapes and colours are quite striking, despite being of the same species. Nevertheless, both the ant workers and flying adults have critical roles in the ant colony’s functioning, and their combined efforts contribute to the thriving population of ants.
