Pest Control St. Louis

Argentine Ant

Latin Name: Iridomyrmex humilis

Traits: It is a tiny, dark-colored ant about 3 mm (1/8 inch) long that invades homes searching for food and water..

Color: dark-colored

Other: It is also light to dark brown in color, and it has six legs, like all other insects. The Argentine ants' antennae have twelve segments. The thorax joins the stomach by a thin pedicel, a thin stalk.

Where can they be found? Outdoors in soil, under timber, slabs, debris, mulch, or in branches and cavities of trees and shrubs

Shallow, 1- to 2-inch deep mounds in open, often disturbed habitats, either moist or dry

The most common ant in southern California is the Argentine ant (Iridomyrmex humilis). This ant can likewise be located in the lower eastern United States area. According to Wild (2004), this species was originally described in the genus Linepithema by Mayr in 1866; therefore, the right binomial should be Linepithema humile. It is a small, dark-colored ant about 3 mm (1/8 inch) long that invades homes looking for food and water. They are specially fond of sweets, but will eat practically any food. They love hard boiled eggs and carry small yellow clumps of yolk back to their nest in endless ant columns.

These ants are extremely well adapted to urbanized areas of the United States with mild climates and well-watered gardens. They pose an essential threat to native wildlife by upsetting delicate food webs. They are specifically formidable as a result of their aggressive behavior and the massive size of their colonies which can literally "team up" with other colonies.

If you live in southern California, you in all likelihood have noticed endless single file columns of uninvited six-legged guests strolling through your home. They follow a pre-marked pheromone "scent" trail firstly laid down by scouts who were searching for goodies in your pantry. Although they choose to outdoor life-style, they primarily enter houses for food and water. They are like sweets, tuna, syrups (even cough syrup), juices, eggs, dead spiders and rodents, puke, faeces and almost any other living tissue they can find. They are essentially scavengers and they play a valuable role in the natural ecosystem–but preferably in Argentina. In hot, dry weather they often times search your house for water, including bathroom faucets and drains. I once followed an ant safari into my washroom where they were neatly stacking their precious cargo of tiny eggs inside my toilet tank. They also relish the "honeydew" secretion of aphids, and protect their aphid friends from natural predators. In the fall months as the nights get icy cold, they once more seek the warmth and shelter of your cozy home.

The first Argentine ants set foot on U.S. soils in the late 1890's, as coffee ships from Brazil unloaded their cargo in New Orleans. Being prolific breeders and constantly on the go, they moved across the southern half of the United States. A single colony may incorporate 10,000 female workers, and there might be many hundreds of colonies around your house; the complete number of ants could reach a million. Although they cannot sting, they can bite; nevertheless, they are simply about 3 mm long and there tiny mandibles are too small to hurt humans. But, internationally of insects, these ants are truly a living terror. They are very aggressive and readily overtake other ant species, even ants that are much larger and with powerful stings. Argentine ants are relentless and merely outnumber their adversaries until the enemy colony is destroyed. They even attack paper wasp nests under the eaves of a house, forcing the huge wasps to flee their nests in terror. Even nests of large carpenter bees are no match for these relentless ants. A "killer bee" nest probably could not withstand an encroachment in Argentine ants. They also will attack bird nests, driving off the mother bird and killing the helpless young. One possible redeeming quality about these little warriors is that they might attack dry- timber (aerial) termite colonies in your house. I have noticed this Lilliputian massacre in a termite infested table in the Palomar College greenhouse.

Most ant colonies are very territorial, and will fight different colonies of the identical species. Since Argentine ants in the United States originated from the original colonizers in Louisiana, they're all intimately linked with the same DNA. They apparently will accept ants from different colonies as guests of their gigantic family. In fact, Argentine ants from different colonies will in reality "team up" and attack together in vast swarms. They just outnumber and overpower their enemy.

Argentine ants have become a serious threat to the coast horned lizard (Phrynosoma coronatum) in southern California. The primary food source for these endangered lizards are native harvester ants, particularly the California harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex californicus). I spent many years observing this interesting red ant while grown up in San Gabriel Valley, and I am able to personally testify that it features a agonizing sting. As of 2006, this large red ant is seldom seen in urbanized areas of coastal southern California.

California harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex californicus), primary diet of coast horned lizard.

Urbanization has certainly been a factor in the demise of California harvester ants, but an even greater factor resulting in the elimination of native ants and coast horned lizards is the aggressive Argentine ant. Apparently the horned lizard is not like Argentine ants, and it's actually attacked by them in enormous swarms. Colonies of Argentine ants need a damp area to survive, and have not invaded some of the dry habitats where native harvester ants and desert horned lizards (P. platyrhinos) still live. Obviously, they can readily colonize urbanized desert areas inhabited by people. Well-watered gardens with stepping stones and concrete slabs provide the idea living requirements for these ants. In their native Argentina they live under rocks.

Coast horned lizard (Phrynosoma coronatum).

Argentine ants are a terrible nuisance in gardens and orchards because they tend and safeguard scale insects and aphids. They even carry aphids to the tender buds of your prized roses. In return, the ants consume a sweet secretion from the aphids called "honeydew." In addition, swarms of these ants will invade orchard trees, destroying the fruit crop. This is particularly serious in figs (Ficus carica) where the symbiotic pollinator wasps are destroyed.

Metallic green fig beetles (Cotinus texana) gorging themselves inside a fleshy, ripe syconium of the Calimyrna fig (Ficus carica). Although masses of minute, aggressive Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) are also foraging in the syconium (white arrow), the beetles are safe by their tough, impervious exoskeleton. These attractive beetles spend their juvenile larval stage in the ground, often beneath manure piles, compost and haystacks.

According to entomologist David Faulkner, if you have a 10 x10 foot (3 x 3 m ) patio slab, you could have a million or more individuals and perchance 20 or 30 queens. They get along fine because they're all linked with the original colonizers in Lousiana, perhaps from the original gravid (pregnant) female who arrived there. Workers live a month or more as adults, but queens live up to 10 years or longer. With other ants, when the queen dies, the one-queen colony dies because no more ants are being produced. With multi-queen Argentine ants, another queen simply moves in and takes over the role of the deceased queen. In point of fact, a queen from San Diego would probably be accepted in a colony elsewhere in California.

Argentine ants (Linepithema humile): A wingless queen and a number of workers. Although these ants are merely 3 mm long, they are very aggressive and quickly annihilate other ant species, even larger ants with powerful jaws and stings. They overpower other species by their sheer numbers. Argentine ants in the U.S. are descendants of original colonizers that entered Louisiana in the late 1890's, as coffee ships from Brazil unloaded their freight in New Orleans. U.S. populations are so closely linked that different colonies with multiple queens can literally merge together into supercolonies. Image taken with Nikon D-90 and 60mm Micro Nikkor AF-S F/2.8G ED Macro Lens using a Phoenix Ring Flash; hand-held at 640 ISO, F-32, 1/125th sec.

In their native homeland of Argentina, different colonies of Argentine ants are not so friendly to each other as their DNA has developed much greater variation. Neighboring colonies may fight each other, although they are merely 200 yards (200 m) apart. Also there are quite a few native predators in Argentina, including fungal parasites and bacterias. The narrow genetic variability that has kept all the California populations on friendly terms may eventually backfire because of extreme inbreeding. Perhaps some day these ants may not have the genetic variability to adjust to a changing environment.

How To Control Invasions of Argentine Ants"

Empty your trash often and make sure your property is free of crums and food particles that might attract ants. Make sure that food containers are tightly closed, without residual traces of the food on the sides of containers. These ants can also get into screw-top jars without seals. They follow the spiral threads until they are inside!

Try not to use toxic aerosol insecticides inside your home–unless you don't care about your lungs or your bone marrow.

Try spraying a deodorant detergent (Pine Sol

Acrobat Ant

Latin Name: Crematogaster ashmeadi

Traits: Medium sized, mostly shiny ant with heart shaped stomach that is sometimes bent up over the thorax when ant is disturbed.

Color: Color variable from light reddish brown to brown or black.

Other: Slow to moderately fast moving ant. May forage in tight foraging trails similar to white-footed ant trails, but only acrobat ant bends the stomach up over the thorax. Acrobat ants also slow to a snails pace than white-footed ants when disturbed.

Habitat: Acrobat Ants are found in the Southeastern US (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia), but can be seen in parts of Missouri

Like all ants, the acrobat ants may produce winged, reproductive individuals (males and ladies) called swarmers. These sexually developed adults emerge from an acknowledged colony, commonly in the fall, to disperse and begin new colonies. The swarmers are harmless, but they may be the first indication of an infestation. Special remedy of swarmers beyond vacuum-cleaning or sweeping them up is not required.

Outside the home, you will usually find Acrobat ants in an assortment of dead and decaying wood. Firewood appears to be one of their preferred homes. In all cases, the timber they occupy will be dead. The acrobat ant never inhabits a healthy or live piece of timber, which is why they like some of the woodworkings around your house. They have a nasty addiction of creating cavities in timber, especially if that timber is moist. They will even nest in foam insulating material board if conditions are right. One way to distinguish their intrusion into your timber is to look for sawdust or other frass materials around suspected nest areas.

Several species of small to medium-sized ants are occasional pests around about the home. One of these is named the acrobat ant owing to how the worker ants carry their abdomens above the remainder of the body as if they were performing a balancing act. Acrobat ants are longer than 1/8th inch. They vary in color from yellowish brown to dark brown, and the heart-shaped abdomen is typically darker than the rest of the body. Magnification is needed to see a pair of spines on the back edge of the middle section of the body that helps identify this ant from other species. The trait of the workers to carry their abdomens upward when they are disturbed is probably the best method to identify this species.

Acrobat ants may nest both outdoors and indoors. Outdoor nests are most often in dead and decaying wood such as logs, stumps, dead trees limbs, firewood and hollow tree cavities. They might nest in damp soil beneath leaf litter or rocks. The small worker ants readily enter buildings through fractures around windows and doors and several openings. Trails of workers may be seen moving between the nest and a food source. Acrobat ants feed on an assortment of foods, including other insects and sweets.

When acrobat ants nest indoors they are usually inside timber or cavities kept moist with water from leaks. They may also nest in foam insulating board or sheathing. As they excavate the large galleries used as nest sites, sawdust could be deposited near the nest area.

How to Get Rid of Acrobat Ants?

As reported by a Pest Control company in St. Louis, acrobat ants entering from outdoors may be managed by sealing the external fractures through which they enter, using a residual insecticide barrier along the foundation, or by treating the ant nest if the location can be determined through careful inspection and observation.

Ant colonies living within the walls ought to be treated by eliminating any moisture problems (if present) and by injecting household insecticide spray or dust into infested wall voids. An exterminator can take care of this or for small problems, you can do it yourself. It can be essential to drill small holes to achieve this therapy.

Insecticides containing pyrethroids are available to homeowners for outdoor use. Always follow labeled directs.

Go to your local retail merchant to discover a ready-to-use insecticide labeled for ants. Read and follow the directions on the label.

Termites

The termites are a grouping of eusocial insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera (but see also taxonomy below). Simultaneously with ants and some bees and wasps that are all placed in the separate order Hymenoptera, termites divide labor among gender lines, produce overlapping generations and look into young collectively. Termites mostly eat dead plant material, more often than not in the kind of wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung, and about 10% of the estimated 4,000 species (about 2,600 taxonomically known) are economically significant as pests that can cause serious structural injury to buildings, crops or plantation woods. Termites are major detritivores, specially in the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of wood and various plant matter is of considerable ecological importance.

As eusocial insects, termites reside in colonies that, at maturity, number from several hundred to several million individuals. Colonies use a decentralised, self- organized systems of activity guided by swarm intelligence to exploit food sources and environments that couldn't be accessible to any single insect acting alone. A typical colony contains nymphs (semi-mature young), workers, soldiers, and reproductive individuals of both genders, frequently containing several egg-laying queens.

Termites are from time-to-time called white ants, though they're not intimately associated with true ants.

female that has flown, mated, and is ovulating is referred to as a queen. Likewise, a male that has flown, mated, and remains in proximity to a queen, is termed a king. Research using genetic methods to determine relatedness of colony members is indicating that the though. In the families Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae, and perhaps others, sperm competition does not seem to occur (male genitalia are very simple and the sperm are anucleate), suggesting that one male (king) more often than not mates within the colony.

At maturity, a primary queen has as a big capabilities to lay eggs. In physogastric species, the queen adds an excess set of ovaries with each molt, leading to a greatly distended abdomen and increased fecundity, often reported to extend to a production of greater than two 1000 eggs a day. The distended stomach increases the queen's body length to several times more than ever mating and reduces her power to move freely, though attendant workers provide assistance. The queen is widely regarded a primary source of pheromones useful in colony integration, and these are considered spread through shared feeding (trophallaxis).

The king grows only slightly larger after initial mating and continues to mate with the queen for life. This is very different from ant colonies, in which a queen mates once with the male(s) and stores the gametes always, and the male ants die shortly after mating.

Pest control in Saint Louis appears to be booming attributable to the very dry season. http://www.2niceguys.com had a link to an editorial showing how destructive termites actually are along with pictures of termites hatching.

The winged (or 'alate') caste, also called the reproductive caste, are in general the only termites with well-developed eyes (although workers of some harvesting species do have well-developed compound eyes, and, in other species, soldiers with eyes quite often appear). Termites en route to becoming alates (going through unfinished metamorphosis) form a sub-caste in particular sorts of termites, functioning as workers ('pseudergates') and likewise as potential supplementary reproductives. Supplementaries have the capability to exchange a dead primary reproductive and, at least in a few species, several are recruited once a primary queen is lost.

In areas with a distinct dry season like Saint Louis, the alates leave the nest in large swarms after the first good soaking rain of the rainy season. In other regions, flights can come about all through the year or more commonly in the spring and autumn. Termites are virtually poor fliers and are readily blown downwind in wind-speeds of less than 2 km/h, shedding their wings right after landing at an acceptable site, where they mate and attempt to create a nest in damp timber or earth.

Argentine Ant

Latin Name: Iridomyrmex humilis

Characteristics: It is a tiny, dark-colored ant about 3 mm (1/8 inch) long that invades homes looking for food and water..

Color: dark-colored

Other: It is in addition light to dark brown in color, and it has six legs, as with other insects. The Argentine ants' antennae have twelve segments. The thorax joins the abdomen by a thin pedicel, a thin stalk.

Where can they be discovered? Outdoors in soil, under timber, slabs, debris, mulch, or in branches and cavities of trees and shrubs

Shallow, 1- to 2-inch deep mounds in open, often disturbed habitats, either moist or dry

The most frequent ant in southern California is the Argentine ant (Iridomyrmex humilis). This ant can also be located in the low eastern US area. According to Wild (2004), this species was originally described in the genus Linepithema by Mayr in 1866; therefore, the right binomial ought to be Linepithema humile. It is a tiny, dark-colored ant about 3 mm (1/8 inch) long that invades homes in search of food and water. They are specifically fond of sweets, but will feed on practically any food. They love hard boiled eggs and carry small yellow clumps of yolk back to their nest in endless ant columns.

These ants are exceedingly well adapted to urbanized areas of the United States with mild climates and well-watered gardens. They pose an essential threat to native wildlife by upsetting sensitive food webs. They are especially formidable as a result of their aggressive behavior and the massive size of their colonies which can literally "team up" with other colonies.

If you live in southern California, you likely have experienced endless single file columns of uninvited six-legged guests walking through your house. They follow a pre-marked pheromone "scent" trail first of all laid down by scouts who were searching for goodies in your pantry. Although they prefer the outdoor lifestyle, they primarily enter houses for food and water. They are fond of sweets, tuna, syrups (even cough syrup), juices, eggs, dead spiders and rodents, vomit, faeces and almost any other organic material they can find. They are basically scavengers and they play a valuable role in the natural ecosystem–but preferably in Argentina. In hot, dry weather they often times search your home for water, including restroom taps and drains. I once followed an ant safari into my restroom where they were neatly stacking their precious cargo of tiny eggs inside my toilet tank. They also relish the "honeydew" secretion of aphids, and protect their aphid friends from natural predators. In the fall months as the nights get chilly, they once again seek the warmth and shelter of your cozy home.

The first Argentine ants set foot on U.S. soils in the late 1890's, as coffee ships from Brazil unloaded their freight in New Orleans. Being prolific breeders and constantly on the go, they moved across the southern half of the United States. A single colony might incorporate 10,000 female workers, and there may well be many hundreds of colonies around your house; the entire amount of ants could easily reach a million. Although they cannot sting, they can bite; still, they are only about 3 mm long and there tiny mandibles are too small to hurt humans. But, internationally of insects, these ants are truly a living terror. They're very aggressive and readily overtake other ant species, even ants that are much larger and with powerful stings. Argentine ants are relentless and merely outnumber their adversaries until the enemy colony is destroyed. They even attack paper wasp nests under the eaves of a house, forcing the massive wasps to flee their nests in terror. Even nests of large carpenter bees are no match for these relentless ants. A "killer bee" nest probably could not withstand an invasion of Argentine ants. They also will attack bird nests, driving off the mother bird and killing the helpless young. One possible redeeming quality about these little warriors is that they may attack dry- timber (aerial) termite colonies in your home. I have seen this Lilliputian massacre in a termite infested table in the Palomar College greenhouse.

Most ant colonies are very highly territorial, and will fight different colonies of the same species. Since Argentine ants in the United States originated from the original colonizers in Louisiana, they are all closely linked with the same DNA. They apparently will accept ants from different colonies as members of their gigantic family. In point of fact, Argentine ants from different colonies will actually "team up" and attack together in vast swarms. They only outnumber and overpower their enemy.

Argentine ants have become an important threat to the coast horned lizard (Phrynosoma coronatum) in southern California. The primary food source for these endangered lizards are native harvester ants, particularly the California harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex californicus). I spent many years observing this interesting red ant while aging in San Gabriel Valley, and I am in a position to personally testify that it features a traumatic sting. As of 2006, this large red ant is seldom seen in urbanized areas of coastal southern California.

California harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex californicus), primary diet of coast horned lizard.

Urbanization has certainly been a aspect in the demise of California harvester ants, but an even better factor leading to the liquidation of native ants and coast horned lizards is the aggressive Argentine ant. Apparently the horned lizard is not fond of Argentine ants, and it's actually attacked by them in enormous swarms. Colonies of Argentine ants need a damp area to survive, and have not invaded some of the dry habitats where native harvester ants and desert horned lizards (P. platyrhinos) still live. Of course, they can readily colonize urbanized desert areas inhabited by people. Well-watered gardens with stepping stones and concrete slabs provide the idea living requirements for these ants. In their native Argentina they live under rocks.

Coast horned lizard (Phrynosoma coronatum).

Argentine ants are a terrible nuisance in gardens and orchards because they tend and protect scale insects and aphids. They even carry aphids to the tender buds of your prized roses. In return, the ants consume a sweet secretion from the aphids called "honeydew." In addition, swarms of these ants will invade orchard trees, destroying the fruit crop. This is especially serious in figs (Ficus carica) where the symbiotic pollinator wasps are destroyed.

Metallic green fig beetles (Cotinus texana) gorging themselves inside a fleshy, ripe syconium of the Calimyrna fig (Ficus carica). Although masses of minute, aggressive Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) are also foraging in the syconium (white arrow), the beetles are safe by their tough, impervious exoskeleton. These attractive beetles spend their juvenile larval stage in the earth, often beneath manure piles, compost and haystacks.

According to entomologist David Faulkner, if you've a 10 x10 foot (3 x 3 m ) patio slab, you may have a million or more individuals and perhaps 20 or 30 queens. They interact fine because they're all associated with the original colonizers in Lousiana, perhaps from the original gravid (pregnant) female who arrived there. Workers live a month or more as adults, but queens live up to 10 years or more. With other ants, when the queen dies, the one-queen colony dies because no more ants are being produced. With multi-queen Argentine ants, another queen simply moves in and takes over the role of the deceased queen. As a matter of fact, a queen from San Diego would in all likelihood be accepted in a colony elsewhere in California.

Argentine ants (Linepithema humile): A wingless queen and various workers. Although these ants are only 3 mm long, they're very aggressive and quickly annihilate other ant species, even larger ants with powerful jaws and stings. They overpower other species by their sheer numbers. Argentine ants in the U.S. are descendants of original colonizers that entered Louisiana in the late 1890's, as coffee ships from Brazil unloaded their freight in New Orleans. U.S. populations are so closely related that different colonies with multiple queens can literally merge together into supercolonies. Image taken with Nikon D-90 and 60mm Micro Nikkor AF-S F/2.8G ED Macro Lens using a Phoenix Ring Flash; hand-held at 640 ISO, F-32, 1/125th sec.

In their native homeland of Argentina, different colonies of Argentine ants are not so friendly to one another as their DNA has developed much greater variation. Neighboring colonies may fight each other, despite the fact that they are only 200 yards (200 m) apart. Also the're a great many native predators in Argentina, including fungal leeches and bacterium. The narrow genetic variability that has kept all the California populations on friendly terms may eventually backfire due to extreme inbreeding. Perhaps some day these ants might not have the genetic variability to conform to a changing environment.

How To Control Invasions of Argentine Ants"

Empty your trash often and make sure your home is free of crums and food particles that may attract ants. Make sure that food containers are tightly closed, without residual traces of the food on the sides of containers. These ants can also get into screw-top jars without seals. They follow the spiral threads until they are inside!

Avoid using toxic aerosol insecticides inside your house–unless you don't care about your lungs or your bone marrow.

Try spraying a deodorant detergent (Pine Sol

Damage from Termites

Attributable to their wood- eating traits, many termite species can do great injury to unprotected buildings and several wooden structures. Their habit of remaining concealed often leads to their presence being undetected until the timbers are severely damaged and exhibit surface changes. Once termites have entered a building, they don't limit themselves to timber; they also damage paper, cloth, carpets, and other cellulosic materials. Particles taken from soft plastics, plaster, rubber, and sealants such as silicone rubber and acrylics are frequently employed in construction.

Humans have moved many timber-eating species between continents, but also have caused drastic population decline in others through habitat loss and pesticide application.

Safeguards:

As reported by a site made for pest control in Saint Charles, MO http://2niceguys.com, it is suggested to ALWAYS contact a professional when you feel that there may be termites present at your property. They also note that you keep mulch away from your property and porch.

Here are some other safeguards that might be of assistance

* Avoid contact of vulnerable timber with ground by utilizing termite-resistant concrete, steel, or masonry foundation with appropriate barriers. However, termites are able to bridge these with shelter tubes, and it has been known for termites to chew through piping made of soft plastics and even some metals, such as lead, to exploit moisture. In general, new buildings ought to be constructed with embedded physical termite barriers so that there are no easy means for termites to gain concealed entry. While barriers of poisoned soil, so called termite pre- therapy, have been in the main use since the 1970s, it is best that these be use just for existing buildings without effective physical barriers.

* The intent of termite barriers (whether physical, poisoned soil, or a few of the new poisoned plastics) is to steer clear of the termites from gaining unseen entry to structures. In most cases, termites attempting to penetrate a barriered building will be driven into the less favourable approach of building shelter tubes up the outer layer walls, and thus, they can be visible both to the building occupants and a range of predators.

* Wood therapy.

* Use of timber that is naturally resistant to termites such as Syncarpia glomulifera (Turpentine Tree), Callitris glaucophylla (White Cypress), or one or more of the Sequoias. Note that there is no tree species whose every individual tree yields only timbers that are immune to termite damage, so that even with famous termite-resistant timber types, there will sometimes be pieces that are attacked. No species of tree produces wood that is absolutely immune to damage from every types of termite, some individual bits of wood may be attacked.

When termites have already penetrated a building, the first action is usually to demolish the colony with insecticides before taking out the termites' means of access and fixing the problems that encouraged them in the first place. Baits (feeder stations) with small quantities of disruptive insect hormones or other very slow acting toxins have become the preferred least-toxic management tool in most western countries. This has replaced the dusting of toxins direct into termite tunnels that had been widely done since the early 1930s (originating in Australia). The principle dust toxicants have been the inorganic metallic poison arsenic trioxide, insect growth regulators (hormones) such as triflumuron and, more recently fipronil, a phenyl-pyrazole. Blowing dusts into termite workings is an extremely skilled process. All these slow-acting poisons can be distributed by the workers for hours or weeks before any symptoms occur and are efficient enough to destroying the entire colony. More up to date variations include chlorfluazuron, diflubenzuron, hexaflumuron, and novaflumuron as bait toxicants and fipronil and imidacloprid as soil poisons. Soil poisons are the least-preferred method of control as this needs much larger doses of toxin and leads to uncontrollable release to the environment.

Acrobat Ant

Latin Name: Crematogaster ashmeadi

Features: Medium sized, mostly shiny ant with heart shaped abdomen that is sometimes bent up over the thorax when ant is disturbed.

Color: Color variable from light reddish brown to brown or black.

Other: Slow to moderately fast moving ant. May forage in tight foraging trails much in-line with white-footed ant trails, but only acrobat ant bends the stomach up over the thorax. Acrobat ants also slow down than white-footed ants when disturbed.

Habitat: Acrobat Ants are located in the Southeastern United States (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia), but can be located in parts of Missouri

Like all ants, the acrobat ants may produce winged, reproductive individuals (males and ladies) called swarmers. These sexually developed adults emerge from an acknowledged colony, commonly in the fall, to disperse and begin new colonies. The swarmers are harmless, but they may be the first sign of an infestation. Special treatment of swarmers beyond hoovering or sweeping them up is not required.

Outside the home, you will generally find Acrobat ants in an assortment of dead and decaying timber. Firewood appears to be one of their preferred homes. In all cases, the timber they occupy will be dead. The acrobat ant never inhabits a healthy or live piece of wood, that is why they like a few of the woodworkings around your property. They have a nasty characteristic of creating cavities in timber, particularly when that timber is moist. They will even nest in foam insulating material board if weather conditions are right. One way to identify their invasion into your wood is to search for sawdust or other frass materials around suspected nest areas.

Several types of small to medium-sized ants are occasional pests around about the home. One of these is named the acrobat ant because of the direction the worker ants carry their abdomens above the remainder of the body as if they were performing a balancing act. Acrobat ants are longer than 1/8th inch. They vary in color from yellowish brown to dark brown, and the heart-shaped stomach is usually darker than the remainder of the body. Magnification is required to see a couple of spines on the back edge of the middle section of the body that helps identify this ant from other species. The habit of the workers to carry their abdomens up when they're disturbed is more than likely the best method to recognize this species.

Acrobat ants may nest both outdoors and indoors. Outdoor nests are most often in dead and decaying wood like logs, stumps, dead trees limbs, firewood and hollow tree cavities. They might nest in damp soil beneath leaf litter or rocks. The small worker ants readily enter buildings through crevices around windows and doors and several openings. Trails of workers may be seen moving between the nest and a food source. Acrobat ants eat a mixture of foods, including other insects and sweets.

When acrobat ants nest indoors they are ordinarily inside wood or cavities kept moist with water from leaks. They can also nest in foam heat retaining board or sheathing. As they excavate the large galleries used as nest sites, sawdust may well be deposited near the nest area.

How to Get Rid of Acrobat Ants?

According to a Pest Control company in St. Louis, acrobat ants entering from outdoors may be managed by sealing the outside fractures through which they enter, using a residual insecticide barrier along the foundation, or by treating the ant nest if the location can be established through careful inspection and observation.

Ant colonies living within the walls should be treated by eliminating any moisture problems (if present) and by injecting household insecticide spray or dust into infested wall voids. An exterminator may take care of this or for small problems, you can do it yourself. It might be essential to drill small holes to accomplish this therapy.

Insecticides containing pyrethroids are available to homeowners for outdoor use. Always follow labeled directs.

Call at your local retailer to find a ready-to-use insecticide labeled for ants. Read and follow the directions on the label.

Termites

The termites are a grouping of eusocial insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera (but see also taxonomy below). Simultaneously with ants and some bees and wasps which are all placed in the separate order Hymenoptera, termites divide labor among gender lines, produce overlapping generations and look into young collectively. Termites mostly eat dead plant material, more frequently than not in the kind of timber, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung, and about 10% of the estimated 4,000 species (about 2,600 taxonomically known) are economically significant as pests that can cause serious structural harm to buildings, crops or plantation woods. Termites are major detritivores, specifically in the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of wood and other plant matter is of considerable ecological importance.

As eusocial insects, termites live in colonies that, at maturity, number from several hundred to several million individuals. Colonies use a decentralised, self- organized systems of activity guided by swarm intelligence to exploit food sources and environments that couldn't be accessible to any single insect acting alone. An ordinary colony comprises nymphs (semi-mature young), workers, soldiers, and reproductive individuals of both genders, often times containing several egg-laying queens.

Termites are often times called white ants, though they're not intimately associated with true ants.

female that has flown, mated, and is ovulating is referred to as a queen. Likewise, a male that has flown, mated, and stays in proximity to a queen, is termed a king. Research using genetic methods to work out relatedness of colony members is indicating that the though. In the families Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae, and perchance others, sperm competition does not appear to occur (male genitalia are very easy and the sperm are anucleate), suggesting that one male (king) more frequently than not mates within the colony.

At maturity, a primary queen has as a big capabilities to lay eggs. In physogastric species, the queen adds an excess set of ovaries with each molt, ending in a greatly distended abdomen and increased fecundity, often reported to result in a production of more than two 1000 eggs a day. The distended stomach adds to the queen's body length to several times more than previously mating and reduces her power to move freely, though attendant workers provide assistance. The queen is widely regarded a primary source of pheromones useful in colony integration, and these are believed to be spread through shared feeding (trophallaxis).

The king grows only slightly larger after initial mating and continues to mate with the queen for keeps. This is totally different from ant colonies, in which a queen mates once with the male(s) and stores the gametes always, and the male ants die shortly after mating.

Pest control in St. Charles, MO seems to be booming because of the very dry season. http://blog.2niceguys.com had a link to an editorial showing how destructive termites actually are along with pictures of termites hatching.

The winged (or 'alate') caste, also called the reproductive caste, are by and large the only termites with well-developed eyes (although workers of some harvesting species do have well-developed compound eyes, and, in other species, soldiers with eyes often appear). Termites on the path to becoming alates (going through unfinished metamorphosis) form a sub-caste in certain types of termites, functioning as workers ('pseudergates') and likewise as potential supplementary reproductives. Supplementaries have the capability to exchange a dead primary reproductive and, at least in a few species, several are recruited once a primary queen is lost.

In areas with a unusual dry season such as Saint Charles, MO, the alates leave the nest in large swarms after the first good soaking rain of the rainy season. In other regions, flights may occur during the year or more commonly in the spring and autumn. Termites are almost poor fliers and are readily blown downwind in wind-speeds of less than 2 km/h, shedding their wings right after landing at an acceptable site, where they mate and attempt to form a nest in damp wood or earth.

Termites

The termites are a grouping of eusocial insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera (but see also taxonomy below). Simultaneously with ants and some bees and wasps which are all placed in the separate order Hymenoptera, termites divide labor among gender lines, produce overlapping generations and maintain young collectively. Termites mostly eat dead plant material, more often than not in the kind of timber, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung, and about 10% of the estimated 4,000 species (about 2,600 taxonomically known) are economically significant as pests that can lead to serious structural injury to buildings, crops or plantation woods. Termites are major detritivores, specifically in the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of wood and different plant matter is of considerable ecological importance.

As eusocial insects, termites reside in colonies that, at maturity, number from several hundred to several million individuals. Colonies utilize a decentralised, self- organized systems of activity guided by swarm intelligence to exploit food sources and environments that couldn't be accessible to any single insect acting alone. A normal colony incorporates nymphs (semi-mature young), workers, soldiers, and reproductive individuals of both genders, quite often containing several egg-laying queens.

Termites are sometimes called white ants, though they are not intimately associated with true ants.

female that has flown, mated, and is producing eggs is known as a queen. Likewise, a male that has flown, mated, and remains in proximity to a queen, is termed a king. Research using genetic methods to work out relatedness of colony members is indicating that the though. In the families Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae, and possibly others, sperm competition does not seem to occur (male genitalia are very easy and the sperm are anucleate), suggesting that just one male (king) more frequently than not mates within the colony.

At maturity, a primary queen has as a big capabilities to lay eggs. In physogastric species, the queen adds an excess set of ovaries with each molt, leading to a greatly distended stomach and increased fecundity, often reported to extend to a production of more than two 1000 eggs a day. The distended stomach adds to the queen's body length to several times more than ever mating and reduces her power to move freely, though attendant workers provide assistance. The queen is widely regarded a primary source of pheromones helpful in colony integration, and these are considered spread through shared feeding (trophallaxis).

The king grows only slightly larger after initial mating and continues to mate with the queen for keeps. This is totally different from ant colonies, in which a queen mates once with the male(s) and stores the gametes always, and the male ants die shortly after mating.

Pest control in St. Louis appears to be booming as a result of the very dry season. http://2niceguys.com had a link to a piece showing how destructive termites actually are as well as pictures of termites hatching.

The winged (or 'alate') caste, also called the reproductive caste, are by and large the only termites with well-developed eyes (although workers of some harvesting species do have well-developed compound eyes, and, in other species, soldiers with eyes frequently appear). Termites on the path to becoming alates (going through incomplete metamorphosis) form a sub-caste in particular sorts of termites, functioning as workers ('pseudergates') and likewise as potential supplementary reproductives. Supplementaries have the capability to replace a dead primary reproductive and, at least in some species, several are recruited once a primary queen is lost.

In areas with a distinct dry season such as St. Louis, the alates leave the nest in large swarms after the first good soaking rain of the rainy season. In other regions, flights can come about throughout the year or more commonly in the spring and autumn. Termites are almost poor fliers and are readily blown downwind in wind-speeds of less than 2 km/h, shedding their wings right after landing at an acceptable site, where they mate and attempt to form a nest in damp wood or earth.

Carpenter ants are a nuisance by their presence when located in parts of the home such as the kitchen, restroom, parlor and various quarters. When 20 or more large winged and/or wingless ants are found indoors, in the daylight near one location, it is attainable that the colony is more developed in the home and the nest may have been extended into sound timber, occasionally causing structural damage. They do not eat wood, but often remove quantities of it to expand their nest size. However, but only if 1 or 2 large wingless ants are erratically crawling, they could simply be foraging for food with the nest located outside. Outdoors, they are regularly seen running over plants and tree trunks or living in moist, partly rotten wood stumps. Nevertheless, carpenter ant inquiries rank first over all other household/structural pests in Ohio.

Identification

Carpenter ants are among the biggest ants located in homes and live in colonies containing three castes consisting of winged and wingless queens, winged males and various sized workers. Winged males are much smaller than winged queens. Wingless queens measure 5/8 inch, winged queens 3/4 inch to the tips of their folded brownish wings, small minor workers 1/4 inch and large major workers 1/2 inch. Workers have some brown on them while queens are black. Workers have large heads and a tiny thorax while adult swarmers have a smaller head and large thorax. Carpenter ants have a smoothly rounded arched (convex) shape to the peak of the thorax when viewed from the side and a pedicel between the thorax and abdomen consisting of just one segment or node. They have constricted waists, elbowed antennas and the reproductive's forewings are bigger than the hindwings, transparent or brownish and not easily removed. Adults are ordinarily black with some species red, brown or yellow occurring on areas of the body and legs. Eggs are about 1/8-inch long, cream colored and oval. Larvae are legless and grub-like, later pupating in tough silken, tan-colored cocoons erroneously remarked as "ant eggs."

Life Cycle and Habits

Queen Worker

Winged male and female carpenter ants (swarmers) emerge from mature colonies usually from March to July. After mating, males die and fresh fertilized women (mated for keeps), generate a new colony in a small cavity in timber, under bark, etc. and each lays 15 to 20 eggs in 15 days. The egg stage takes about 24 days, larval stage 21 days and pupal stage 21 days or about 66 days from egg to adult at 70 to 90 degrees F. Cool weather may extend this period up to 10 months. The colony does not produce swarmers until about three years later. A mature colony, after 3 to 6 years, has 2,000 to 4,000 individuals. During the first hatch, larvae are fed entirely by a fluid secreted from the queen's mouth where she does not take food, but uses stored fat reserves and wing muscles for her nourishment. The few workers emerging from the first breed assume duties of the colony, collecting food, excavating galleries to enlarge the nest and tending the eggs, larvae and pupae of the second generation. Workers regurgitate food for nourishment of the developing larvae and queen. She has few duties except to lay eggs.

In later generations, workers of varying sizes are produced (polymorphism) into major and minor workers, that are all sterile females. Males formed are winged swarmers. Larger "major" workers guard the nest, battle intruders, explore and forage for food while smaller "minor" workers expand the nest and look after the young. workers, when disturbed, carry off the larvae and pupa, which must be fed and tended or they die. In a mature colony, there is usually one queen with 200 to 400 winged individuals produced as swarmers. Workers have strong jaws and readily bite (sharp pinch) when contacted.

Nests are ordinarily established in soft, moist (not wet), decayed wood or often times in a current wood cavity or void area in a structure that is perfectly dry. Workers cut galleries in the timber, expanding the nest size for the enlarging colony. Galleries are irregular, usually excavated with the wood grain ( occasionally across the texture) into softer portions of the wood. The walls of the nest are smooth and clean (sandpapered appearance) with shredded sawdust-like wood fragments, like chewed up toothpicks (frass), carried from the nest and deposited outside. These piles of timber fragments, often discovered beneath special openings (windows) or nest openings, may incorporate portions of insects, empty seed coats, etc.

Carpenter ants do not eat wood but excavate wood galleries to rear their young ants and carry aphids to plants, placing them on leaves for the manufacture of honey dew. The food weight loss program is of great variety (omnivorous) of both plant and animal origin like plant juices, fresh fruits, insects (living or dead), meats, syrup, honey, jelly, sugar, grease, fat, honey dew (aphid excrement), etc. They feed readily on termites and usually never exist with them in a home. Workers are known to forage for food as far as 100 yards from their nest.

Control Measures

The most significant and often most tough part of carpenter ant control is locating the nest or nests. As soon as the nest location is found, control is very simple and simple. Occasionally more than one colony is present in the structure or on its grounds, so a thorough inspection is very important. Steps to a booming inspection include an interview with members of the family, inspection indoors, inspection outside and sound detection.

Interview

Often children and adults of the residence know where ants are seen, where huge numbers are most prevalent, movement patterns, moisture in the structure, moisture problems of earlier times, if swarmers were seen, location of sawdust-like material in piles, populations outdoors, etc.

Inspection Indoors

Nests can be located in either moist or dry timber. Although, carpenter ants prefer to nest in moist wood with a moisture content considerable over 15 percent, often caused by rain, leaks, condensation, etc. Structural timber is about 12 to 15 percent moisture. A moisture meter can find wet spots to pinpoint possible nest locations. Inspect behind restroom tiles, around tubs, showers, sinks, dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerator drip pans, etc. Check wood plagued by moisture from contact with the soil like steps, porch supports, siding, seepage from plugged drain gutters, chimney flashing, wooden shingle roofs, hollow porch posts, columns, leaking window and door frames, window boxes, crawl spaces, pipes, poor pitch of porch roofs, flat deck porch roofs, under porches, attics, etc. Now and again, nests are located in dry environments, such as hollow veneer doors, curtain rods, small void areas between the door casing and ceiling, false beams, or under heat retaining material in attics. Search for damaged timbers, swarmers in spider webs, timber piles indoors, piles of wood debris removed from the colony (pencil sharpener shaving-like), "windows" or small opening to a nest, etc. Gently tap floor joists, etc. with a hammer. A nest cavity gives a hollow ring. A knife blade will penetrate the wood if infested.

Baiting

Some possibly use tiny piles of sugar at two to three feet intervals around the kitchen, bathroom, etc. in attempt to work out where the nest is located. Others use drops of honey or corn syrup placed on the back of masking tape. Make observations late in the evening, following ants back to their nest entrance.

Flushing Agent

A household aerosol spray, containing pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide, applied directly into fractures, crevices or holes, will excite the ants (repellent action) causing them to come running out revealing the presence of their nest in a few instances.

Inspection Outdoors

Search for ants traveling from a tree or stump to the structure. They could travel over tree branches or vines touching the roof, electrical and telephone wires, fences next to the house, piles of firewood, logs, or railroad ties nearby or hollow living trees with entrance knot holes, etc. Workers are briskest in the evening (midnight), traveling from their nest to a food source following trails but no particular trail leading straight to the nest. They do establish chemical (pheromone) trails.

Sound Detection

An energetic colony may produce a unusual, dry rustling sound ( often times loud), close to the crinkling of cellophane. It may be heard in a wall when standing in a room. A listening device, such as a stethoscope, may be useful when weather is quiet and outside noises are at a nominal amount. Even a cat may hear noises in a home the result of ant mandibles (jaws) not from chewing wood or eating, but as their form of correspondence, in particular when the colony is disturbed.

Prevention

Homeowners should trim all trees and bushes so branches do not touch or come in contact with the house. Correct moisture problems such as leaking roofs, leaking chimney flashing, or plumbing, poorly vented attics or crawl spaces and blocked gutters. Replace rotted or water-damaged timber and eliminate wood to soil contact. Remove dead stumps within 50 feet of the home, if practical, and repair trees with damage at broken limbs, and holes in the trunk. Seal fractures and crevices in the foundation, especially where utility pipes and wiring occur externally. Be sure to shop firewood off the land away from the house and bring in mere enough firewood (first examining it) to be utilized quickly . Consider non-organic mulches near the house in heavily infested ant areas. High moisture conditions must be eradicated to help control carpenter ants, prevent future attacks and prevent " wood decay" fungus infection.

This publication contains pesticide recommendations that are subject to change at any time. These recommendations are provided only as a guide. It is always the pesticide applicator's responsibility, legally, to read and follow all current label directions for the specific pesticide being used. As a result of constantly changing labels and product registration, a few of the recommendations given in this writing may no longer be legal by the time you read them. If any facts in these testimonials disagrees with the label, the recommendation must be disregarded. No endorsement is meant for products mentioned, nor is criticism intended for products not mentioned. The author, The Ohio State University and Ohio State University Extension assume no liability resulting from the use of these suggestions.