Ants in Florida

Did you know that there are over fifteen species of ants alone that are considered “pest ants” in the state of Florida? Would you even think there are that many species of this tiny insect in the world, never mind in our great state?! In fact, there are over 12,000 species of ants around the world! Thank goodness we do not have that many to deal with here at home.

You may have heard that ants can lift over twenty times their own weight, but did you know that a queen ant can live for a number of years and have millions of babies? This translates into colonies that could possibly consist of millions of ants! For a species that has been in existence about 130 million years and populates almost the entire world, they certainly do not appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, there are estimated to be 10 trillion live ants on the planet at any given moment. While these numbers might be bugging you out (pun intended), especially if you have seen ants in your home, generally these pests will not put you or your family in danger.

It is good to know that unlike roaches or rodents, ants will most likely not be bringing harmful bacteria into your home, they just looking for a good meal. There are a few types of ants that are less desirable however. Some species of ants do bite, generally if they are red in color it means they could be biters. While their bites are usually harmless, any bites are painful and annoying nonetheless. Another unfriendly ant to have hanging around are carpenter ants. While they won’t bite, they do live in wood and if you are seeing them in your home, it could be a sign that you might have some structural problems such as damaged or hollowed beams.

Ants don’t seem to bother homeowners in quite the same way as other pests in their homes. In any case, if you are dealing with ants and don’t seem to be making any headway with cleaning and sealing food, it could be due to the fact that ants leave chemical trails to alert others of a desirable location. This makes it more difficult to keep ants away, so if you have tried and repeatedly failed to rid your home of these bugs or maybe you don’t want to put in the time but want them gone, it is time to think about calling in the experts at Sunstate!