Ants

Negative Characteristics: Black and Red Garden Ants can be an irritation and they do bite if they feel threatened.

Redeeming Characteristics: Innocent garden dwellers where they search for flower nectar.

Quick Tips:

Thoroughly clean all areas where ants are seen, removing all potential food sources and storing it in sealed containers.
Best control is to eliminate the colony, not just target wandering individuals.
Use poison bait stations (natural or synthetic poisons are available) placed near to the areas of peak activity.
Make sure you keep replacing the bait until the ants stop feeding. Control will then be complete.

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Where are they found?

The black garden ant is found throughout Britain and is one of only a very few garden nesting ants that are commonly found foraging in our homes. Black ants frequently nest under stones, paving slabs and door steps close to houses. From there they forage widely and soon find their way into domestic premises in search for their favourite sweet foods.

When a worker finds a suitable source of food it takes a sample back to the colony, leaving a pheromone (scent) trail behind it. Back at the colony it regurgitates a sample of the food for other ants to taste and they then follow to pheromone trail back to find the source of food. That is why your sighting of a single ant can turn into scores within an hour or so.

The Common Black Garden Ant is the species most likely to be encountered by the British householder. It can easily be identified by its black colour (most of the other ants you are likely to see will be red or orangish except for the black wood ant).

Ants are easily identified by their thin waist and bulbous rear segment. they have pronounced elbowed (bent) antennae and biting mouth parts.

The workers (sterile females) are about 4mm long whilst the queens (fertile females) are about 15mm long. Only the fertile females and the males grow wings and then swarm in order to mate. The swarming lasts for 2 to 3 hours after which the males die and the females cast their wings and dig a hiding hole in the soil where they overwinter prior to starting a new colony the next spring.