With ants being the #1 nuisance pest in the United States, ant control is paramount to many homeowners. There are more than 700 ant species found in the U.S., although only about 25 species commonly infest homes. Ants are social insects that typically live in underground colonies, made up of workers and a queen. Ants will eat practically any kind of food, but are especially attracted to sweets. Ants are easily identifiable due to their three distinct body region: head, thorax and abdomen, as well as antennae. Despite similar construction, ants vary in overall appearance. Small or large ants and brown or black ants are common nicknames for different species.
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Lemon ants make devil's gardens by killing surrounding plants with their stings and leaving a pure patch of lemon ant trees. This modification of the forest provides the ants with more nesting sites inside the stems of the Duroia trees.
Most do-it-yourself ant control approaches kill only the ants you see. Some truly effective treatments can penetrate and destroy nests to help prevent these pests from returning. Also, home remedies don't account for the fact that different kinds of ant infestations require different treatments.
Colonies can number up to 300,000 to 500,000, and whole colonies can uproot and relocate quickly when threatened. They can nest about anywhere in and around your house; in lawns, walls, stumps, even under foundations.