Description
The Garden Ant (Lasius Niger) is by far the most commonly
encountered species of ant in the United Kingdom. It has a black,
dark brown or red/brown segmented body of approximately 4mm length.
The Queen is brown and upward of 10mm length. The Pharaoh Ant
(Monomorium Pharaonis) is also occasionally found in the UK in
institutions such as hospitals and prisons. It is yellow in colour
and at 2mm in length is significantly smaller than the garden
ant.
Biology and Habitat
Ants are socially complex insects living in colonies in large
nests. One or more queen will lay the eggs and feed the larvae
which develop into fertile males, sterile females (workers) and
fertile females. The worker ants are responsible for building the
nest; usually outdoors in walls, under paving stones, in flower
beds and under grass. Workers leave the nest on foraging
expeditions to gather nectar from flowers and sugary solutions
produced by aphids but their attraction to sweet foods also causes
them to invade houses and other premises through doorways, windows
and gaps in brickwork and foundations.
From mid July mature male ants may develop wings and pursue
females emerging from the nest causing ‘plagues’ of flying ants.
Having mated on the wing, the unfortunate male will quickly die,
whilst the female will lose her wings and survive by burying
herself in the ground for the winter before founding new colonies
in the spring.
Importance
As a consequence of foraging activities garden ants often appear
indoors in great numbers; this is unpleasant and unacceptable to
most people. However, garden ants neither carry germs nor do they
spread disease and hence their presence does not constitute a risk
to health.
Control
Endeavour to identify how the ants are gaining entry into the
building and seal the point(s) with cement mortar or mastic.
Trace the ant’s back to the nest, which should be dug up and
large quantities of boiling water applied. When the area has dried
this should be followed by the application of an insecticide,
preferably a powder, obtainable from garden centres, etc.
Within premises ensure that all sugary products are held in
sealed containers. Line waste bins with plastic carrier bags and
empty them regularly. Insecticide may be applied to affected areas
either using an aerosol specified for ‘crawling insects’ or a
powder containing BENDIOCARB in a ‘puffer pack’.
Safety
Not all insecticides are safe for use indoors, particularly
where food is present. To protect yourself and others and to
minimise damage to the environment ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW THE
APPLICATION AND USE INSTRUCTIONS PRINTED ON THE CONTAINER
