Ant Pest Control Geelong

Ant control is important in Geelong homes, buildings, parks and gardens because they are not only a real pest, the introduced species can also be a health hazard. Ants are a pest when they infest houses, other buildings and surrounding areas, feed on human foodstuffs and spread disease. Professional ant control and ant treatment by a reliable pest control service are recommended.

Pest Ant Species in Geelong

Ants belong in the same family (Formicidae) as bees and wasps in the order Hymenoptera and are found anywhere in Geelong from suburban backyards to coastal mangroves and they often form ant trails leading to kitchens and areas containing food.

Our pest control experts at Essential Pest Solutions treat and control ant infestations and carry out ant removal in commercial premises and homes. We have methods for green ant control, jack jumper ant nest removal and treatments and removal for all infestations in Geelong.

New Ant Species Found Up North

In 2022 Charles Darwin University researchers (1) found new ant species in the Northern monsoonal tropics. This brought known ant species in Australia from 1,200 – 4,000 to around 8,000. However, only a few ant species, mainly introduced, need ant control services. NB: Ants are not related to termites, even though termites are often called white ants. Ants cannot damage sound timber, termites can.

Identifying the Main Ant Pest Species in Geelong

All ants have waists and most species have a head, thorax, abdomen and compound eyes. Ant species are generally differentiated by their distinctive ‘elbowed’ antennae and constricted abdominal segments. If wings are present, the hind wings are smaller than the forewings. Ant control is recommended if you have an infestation of any of the following:

Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta) 

Fire ants (or red ants) are one of the worst invasive species to reach Australia and are the target of national eradication programs. They are a declared exotic pest in Victoria and while the risk here is low, people should be on the alert for infestations. Fire ants will affect everyone. Their sting is notoriously severe and they can potentially ruin our outdoor lifestyle, devastate the environment and reduce the production of some agricultural industries.

Singapore Ant (Monomorium destructor)

These ants are an introduced species, 1.5 – 3mm long, coloured light brown with a darker posterior abdomen and they can deliver a painful sting. These ants will eat plastics in irrigation, electrical, and other equipment, and have caused electrical fires. They prefer animal-based to sweet foodstuff and form a slow-moving trail to foodstuffs.

Argentine Ant (Linepithema humile)

Argentine ants are an introduced species, slender and brown 1.5 – 3mm long with eyes close to their antennae base. They travel in slow trails and their main source of food is the sweet honeydew aphids and scale insects produce but they can eat meat.

Australian Bull Ants (Myrmecia)

Bull ants, also called bulldog ants, are large and can grow up to 40 mm long. They have slender mandibles and a venom-laden sting. They are natives, are well known as a pest in all states of Australia and have an excruciatingly painful sting.

Jack Jumper Ants (Myrmecia)

Jack jumper ants (same family as bull ants) are around 10 to 15mm long with a black body and brownish orange pincers and limbs. They crawl in jerky, jumpy movements and are often associated with allergic reactions.

White-footed House Ant (Technomyrmex albipes)

These introduced ants are also known as black house ants in Victoria and have light-coloured feet when seen under a microscope. They’re shiny and black, and 2.8 – 3.5mm long. They bite but don’t sting. They love sweet foods, but will also eat meat.

Black House Ant (Ochetellus glaber)

Black house ants are 2.5 – 3mm long, stocky, and smaller than the white-footed house ant, coloured black often with a subtle, greenish-purplish iridescence. They bite, but don’t sting and are introduced. They tend to aphids and other bugs they’ve imported onto pot plants. They prefer sweet foodstuffs but will eat a variety of foods.

Coastal brown ant (Pheidole megacephala)

Coastal brown ants are an introduced species, coloured a shiny light to dark brown. Workers are 1.5 – 3mm and soldiers are 3.5 – 4.5mm with powerful jaws and big heads and their sting is relatively painless. They eat grease, dead insects, and meat.

Carpenter ant (Camponotus spp)

Carpenter ants ((also called sugar ants) vary in size and colour, ranging from about 2.5 – 14mm long, and from brown to pale beige. They don’t sting but may bite. Despite the name, carpenter ants rarely enter houses but nest in decaying wood, soil, trees etc. and rarely cause structural damage. They eat dead insects, sweet foods and household waste.

Green-headed Ants (Rhytidoponera metallica)

Green-headed ants are native 5 to 7 mm long and usually found in gardens and forested regions. A sting from a green-headed ant can be excruciating. Their metallic colours range from green to purplish or reddish violet colours.

Pharaoh’s Ant (Monomorium pharaonis)

Pharaoh’s ants are an introduced species, 1.5 – 3mm long and occur all over Australia with colours ranging from light yellow-brown to darker brown. They nest in warm parts of buildings, near heating ducts for instance and are often found in nursing homes and hospitals. They eat high-protein foods such as blood, meat, vegetables and fatty foods.

Essential Pest Solutions for Ant Treatment, Control and Removal

If you have an ant problem and you’re searching for pest control or ant infestation treatment in Geelong, or “carpenter ant treatment near me” we have the solution. Our experts at Essential Pest Solutions know how to permanently get rid of ant nests, ant infestations, and the best ant control treatment for home and garden infestations.

Our pest inspection, management and ant control company also uses methods of ant removal that are safe for pets. For professional ant infestation and pest control services, contact us at Essential Pest Solutions in Geelong either by phone at 0438 422 580 or by email at info@essentialpestsolutions.com.au.

References:

1. https://phys.org/news/2022-08-hundreds-ant-species-northern-australia.html