Ant behaviour
These tiny insects live in well-organized societies and have a knack for making life a little less pleasant.
Field or pavement ants
Field or pavement ants are brown or black and small in size. They are constantly looking for food and thrive in sandy areas, generally nesting outdoors near house foundations or in cracks in foundations and asphalt surfaces and between paving stones. You can spot these types of ants by the sand craters they leave behind as they dig their tunnels.
Carpenter ants
Carpenter ants are usually black, with hints of red or brown, and measure from 7mm to 10mm (0.3 to 0.4in) in length. They are the largest ants found in Quebec.
Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood. They dig galleries in wood softened by moisture to build their nests. Their natural habitat is forested areas, but some colonies settle near houses, especially in stacks of firewood, in tree stumps or in the rotting structures of fences, porches or balconies.
They can even nest inside houses, attracted by damp wood and especially by the food available in some rooms (e.g., crumbs, sugar, sources of protein, etc.). Infestations in houses are often due to establishment of a satellite nest, with no queen ant. The felling of a tree or a balcony repair, for example, may be enough to explain this appearance.
Is it true they chew only decaying wood?
Carpenter ants sometimes vary their habits: a colony may nest in wall cavities, attic spaces or insulation. When a colony is expanding, ants may attack healthy wood as well.
Are ants useful or bothersome?
Useful
- In the forest, ants are a source of food for various birds and animals.
- They contribute to the decomposition of trees and stumps and stir up soil by tunnelling.
- Carpenter ants may be a sign of a moisture problem in a house and of a weakening of its structure. Observing where the ants gather can help pinpoint the problem.
Bothersome
- A colony of ants can cause damage to your home’s insulation.
- Coming across a group of ants searching for food in the kitchen or pantry is an unpleasant experience, to say the least!
Tips for keeping ants away from your home
There a number of simple things you can do to deter ants.
1. Outside
Get rid of any waste wood on your property, and store any firewood away from the house. Ideally, store firewood in an aerated outdoor shelter with a roof. A tarpaulin can also be used, though only on the surface, because air needs to flow between the logs.
Cut back any tree branches that are touching the house.
Repair any cracks, including gaps around doors and windows.
2. Inside
Put screens on all doors and windows and repair them as needed.
Keep food in tightly sealed contenants.
Keep the kitchen floor and counters clean.
Empty your kitchen trash bin frequently.
Inspect high-moisture areas of the house, wood structural elements that are exposed to the outside, and areas where wood touches the ground.
How to tell if you have ants
The frequent appearance of small piles of damp sawdust created when ants dig their tunnels is a clue that you have a nest. Large colonies of over 10,000 ants live in a main nest that can be as far as 90m from your home and up to a dozen satellite nests.
Ants that invade homes usually come from a satellite nest with no queen. These types of nests appear when the colony gets too big or if there is a major disruption such as a tree being felled or repairs to a wooden balcony.
How to get rid of ants?
You need to destroy the main nest.
1. If the nest is outside
Flood the nest repeatedly with boiling or soapy water.
Sprinkle the area with red pepper, eggshells, bone meal, talcum powder, wood ash or diatomaceous earth (a low-impact powdered pesticide).
If need be, used an approved insecticide. Pesticides must only be used as a last resort. Read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and follow the directions to the letter.
2. If the nest is inside
An ant discovered in the kitchen, especially in the spring, may just be a scout looking for food. However, the appearance of ants in the winter or the presence of winged ants (in reproduction mode) undoubtedly betrays the presence of a colony inside. In this case:
Use traps you can buy at the hardware store, or liquid or powder baits (a mix of two equal portions of icing sugar and borax powder). Place them near the nest and wherever you see ants. Be careful with borax: This is a toxic substance. Keep it out of the reach of children and pets.
Replace rotting or infested wood with materials in good condition.
Fix moisture and ventilation problems in your home.
Replace rotting or infested wood with materials in good condition.
Fix moisture and ventilation problems in your home.
Calling in the pros
If you’re not able to eliminate the ants infestation, the intervention of a professional exterminator and controlled use of insecticides will be necessary. The agreement must provide for and guarantee the destruction of the main nest and of the satellite nests.
Not sure who to call? See our list of approved suppliers.
To learn more about ants
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