Ant Removal in South London & Essex Black Garden Ant (Lasius Niger) Overview Black ants are particularly common across the UK. They like to build nests in sandy or dry soils near houses, garden and paths.
Health Risks Worker ants can be found foraging for food, especially sweet food and liquids. Although garden ants pose no real health risk you wouldn’t want them on your food. Damage to Property and Reputation Garden ants can be found in cavity walls of homes and businesses, especially those where food is stored and prepared. They are more likely to be found under kitchen units and skirting boards. This means that restaurants, hotels, pubs and other hospitality businesses must take precautions to stay cockroach-free, and are not closed by the Environmental Health Authorities.
Quick Tips Small ant infestations can be easily dealt with by using ant spray, traps or powder which are available online and in DIY stores. They can be vacuumed indoors. Pharaoh's Ant (Monomorium Pharaonis) Overview Pharaoh’s ants are worker ants and are only 2mm long whereas the Queen measures 5mm long. They are yellow and have darker markings around the abdomen. They prefer mild and pleasant temperatures and can often be found in hospitals, prisons and apartment blocks.
Health Risks Pharaoh's ants may carry disease organisms which could contaminate wounds, sterile equipment putting patients at risks.
They can travel through ventilation systems easily spreading germs as they prefer to nest in warm and humid places close to food sources. Damage to Property and Reputation Nests are usually located in highly inaccessible places. These can include wall cavities, skirting boards, in furniture, flooring and in fabrics. The use of insecticides against these ants is not advised because the chemicals cause nests to split up. Nests can contain several Queens, so one nest could become several making matters worse. Complete eradication can take up to 13 weeks.
How We Can Help You Help Yourself Quick Tip Poisonous baits only can be used to take poison back to the nest to kill the ants or disrupt breeding.
Did You Know Colonies tend to be very large with several thousand workers and multiple and many hundreds of reproductive females.
Ghost Ant (Tapinoma Melanoccephalum) Overview The ghost ant is only 1.5-2mm long, almost translucent body and legs, dark head and thorax. It originates from the tropics and requires warmth and protection. They are incredibly hard to spot due to their size and colour.
Health Risks N/a
Damage to Property or Reputation Ghost ants nest in spaces between walls, cupboards, folded textiles, or in the soil of potted plants. They are mainly found in kitchens and bathrooms looking for water sources. In kitchens, they will look for sweet items such as sugar and honey or sweets. They will also feed on grease deposits if no sweet food can be found.
How We Can Help Quick Tip Baiting using slow acting poison is the most likely way to eradicate ghost ants.
Did You Know The Queen lays a large number of eggs, which hatch within 2 to 4 weeks to form larvae. Colonies of ghost ants tend to be moderate to large in size and often a number of Queens are present.
