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Ants

Carpenter Ant

Scientific Name:

Genus Camponotus

Appearance:

Among the largest ants, from one-fourth to three-eighths inch long; most common species is black, but some have reddish or yellowish coloration; workers have large mandibles.

Habits:

Normally nest in dead portions of standing trees, stumps or logs, or burrow under fallen logs or stones; invade homes in search of food; nests inside homes can do great damage; hollow out “galleries” in wood that are so smooth they appear to be sandpapered.

Diet:

Do not eat wood; will feed on nearly anything people eat, particularly sweets and meats; also feed on other insects.

Reproduction:

Queen lays 15 to 20 eggs the first year, and up to 30 eggs the second year; eggs complete their life cycle in about 60 days; worker ants can live up to seven years, while a queen may live up to 25 years.

Other Information:

All kinds of houses, regardless of age or type of construction, are vulnerable to infestation and damage by carpenter ants; very difficult to control; colonies can contain up to 3,000 workers.

Carpenter Ant Control in Colorado Springs

Of the many types of ants that can be found in Colorado, the carpenter ant is the largest and most destructive that a homeowner can find living in their home, requiring focused attention on carpenter ant control services.

Although they do not eat wood like a termite would, carpenter ants will build their colonies inside a home’s wooden features and will cause severe damage to the structural integrity. They are attracted to food and will rush to find anything sweet and sugary that they can reach. Some colonies can live in your home for up to 25 years and will continue to multiply whether you know they are there or not.  Over time, they can hollow out walls and floorboards resulting in a dangerous home to live in.

Carpenter Ant Control

If caught early, professional carpenter ant control is effective and affordable. Our ant exterminator team in Colorado Springs offers a process that is a very intensive service, which can include a perimeter treatment to your home’s exterior, along with an interior treatment to control any current ant problems.

Don’t Wait Too Long

If a homeowner waits too long, it can cost thousands in repairs and still require assistance for complete carpenter ant control so the same problem doesn’t happen again. In extreme cases, our ant exterminator team member may ask to drill into your home’s walls, to allow more access for treatment methods. Be on the lookout for small piles of wood shavings that seemed to have appeared overnight.

Be Proactive

If you are concerned you might need carpenter ant control or want to be proactive and make sure, call Mug-A-Bug Pest Control or fill out a form online. We will send one of our skilled and certified ant exterminators to your Colorado Springs home, and he will help you diagnose a problem if there is one and speak with you about the best solution for your carpenter ant control.

Harvester Ant

Scientific Name:

Pogonomyrmex rugosus

Appearance:

Less than 1/16-1″ (1-15 mm) long, are mostly black, brown, or reddish.

Habits:

They have a complex social structure usually consisting of a wingless worker caste composed entirely of sterile females and a reproductive caste made up of winged, fertile males and females. But some species do not have a worker caste, and some reproductives do not have wings. Ants have a slender “waist,” or pedicel, of 1 or 2 beadlike or scalelike segments between the thorax and abdomen.

Diet:

Workers gather food, maintain and defend the nest, and tend eggs, larvae, and pupae. Most species are predators or scavengers, but a few harvest seeds, visit clusters of aphids to eat their sweet secretions, raise fungus for food in small underground gardens, or eat leaves cut from plants. Some species produce eggs, which are eaten by the queen and workers.

Reproduction:

They differ from wasps in having distinctly elbowed antennae. Ants live in colonies in underground Online Pokies tunnels or in galleries in dead wood. From time to time, winged males and females emerge from the nest and perform a brief mating flight. After mating, the males die, and the females lose their wings and return to the ground to start a new colony.

Other Information:

When disturbed, most ants are capable of “biting” or “stinging” people. Warning These ants are capable of delivering a sting which does not hurt at first, but can result in intense pain and swollen lymph nodes, particularly if the victim is attacked by a number of workers.

Odorous House Ant

Scientific Name:

Tapinoma Sessile

Appearance:

Dark reddish brown to black, one-tenth inch long; antennae have 12 segments.

Habits:

Nests found in a great variety of situations; in the home, often found nesting in the walls or beneath the floor; most likely to invade homes during rainy weather; travel in trails; forage day and night.

Diet:

Honeydew melons in the wild; inside the home, they prefer sweet items.

Reproduction:

Each female in the nest lays one egg a day; young reach adulthood in an average of 24 days; workers and females live for several years.

Other Information:

When crushed, give off very unpleasant odor; colonies are very large, but can be driven away by invading Argentine ants.

Pavement Ant

Scientific Name:

Tetramorium Caespitum

Appearance:

Light brown to black, appendages lighter than rest of the body; about one-tenth inch long; parallel lines on head and thorax; antennae of 12 segments.

Habits:

Invade homes foraging for food throughout the year; nests are outdoors under stones, along curbing or in cracks of pavement; can nest indoors in walls and under floors.

Diet:

Omnivorous; will eat many things, but prefer greasy and sweet foods.

Reproduction:

Queen produces five to 20 eggs per day; brood develops in about 40 days; young go through 3 larval stages.

Other Information:

Slow-moving; a particular nuisance around homes with slab-on-grade construction but can be prevented with residential pest control techniques.

Flying Ant

Scientific Name:

Lasius Niger

Appearance:

Winged ants can be distinguished from termites by comparing certain features.  Ants have a narrow (pinched) waist like wasps, whereas termites are virtually the same width from end to end and straight waist like a grain of rice.  Ants and termites each have four wings, however, on ants the front wings are longer than the hind wings while on termites all four wings are equal size and length.  Finally, the antennae of ants are bent or “elbowed” whereas termite antennae are straight.

Habits:

At certain times of the year, ant colonies produce large numbers of winged individuals’ known as swarmers.  These winged ants emerge from the nest to mate and establish new colonies.  When a swarm of ants emerges inside a home, it is an indication that a nest is present within the structure.  Fortunately, the success rate for swarmers establishing new colonies inside a home is low.  Nonetheless, winged ants emerging indoors can be disturbing and often mistaken for termites.

Diet:

Omnivorous; will eat many things, but prefer greasy and sweet foods.

Reproduction:

Queen produces five to 20 eggs per day; brood develops in about 40 days; young go through 3 larval stages.

Other Information:

Ants build their nests in many different locations both inside and outside of buildings.  Species nesting inside or foraging indoors for food or moisture, tend to be the most challenging to control.

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Ant

With over 40 years of experience, locally owned and operated, Mug-A-Bug will treat your home with respect and care no matter the size of the job. All technicians are certified and use only federally approved products to ensure your family’s safety. 100% satisfaction is guaranteed.

We offer residential and commercial pest removal in Several different programs and our ant exterminator team services all of Colorado Springs as well as the Pueblo area. Let Mug-A-Bug help remove any unwanted pests and take back your home today!

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Education about common Colorado Pests

While some pests don’t bite or sting, they can still cause damage to your home or business. They are unwanted guests that you need to have removed. In Southern Colorado’s unique climate, it is possible to inadvertently invite them into our homes. We hope this guide helped you find and identify some of the common Colorado pests. Education about common Colorado pests can help you identify what the problem is so we can better serve you.