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ants insects

Why do fire ants move only to 5 to 10 feet when you treat just the mounds?

When a person hears the word “fire ants” mean usually comes to mind due to their aggressive nature. Most people know fire ants for their reddish color and sting that inflicts pain on their victims. If a fire ant mound is disturbed, most people know immediately from the swarm that occurs that they have just made a horrible and painful mistake. Fire ants are not insects that should be taken for granted or should one wait for them to move on to another location. Once you have realized you have a fire ant infestation, your problem becomes even more difficult to eliminate.

Unless you kill the queen herself, spraying the mound is not the only answer to resolving your problem with fire ants. In fact, you may find that spraying the fire ant mound is only a temporary solution as within just a few days, you may find the return of the fire ants to the original mound area. In order to work on reducing your fire ant problem, you will need to target as many areas as possible in which the fire ants may be dwelling other than the mound. Unfortunately, you will not be able to completely eliminate your fire ant problem, as it is nearly impossible to find all of the fire ants’ hiding places. Also, fire ant tunnels are extremely complicated and deep in the ground so it is important that one is aware of this when treating a fire ant mound. It may require more than just a simple treatment of the mound to kill those fire ants deep in the mound.

Many people believe that home remedies are the best way to resolve their fire ant problem. However, most home remedies only cause the fire ants to move to another nearby location. In fact, many believe drowning fire ants is the answer to your problem but fire ants cannot be drowned. They have actually figured out a way to survive drowning! This is the type of insect you are dealing with so it is important that you hire a pesticide company with experience in fire ants to try and alleviate your problem sooner rather than later. Treating a fire ant problem can become very costly long process so it is best to get the right company for the job immediately as opposed to spending a lot of money on inexperienced companies. Hiring an experienced company can not only prevent the pains to your wallet but can also prevent the pains to your skin from the stinging inflicted by the fire ants in your yard.

A39EYRO4HWC7VI © 2016

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Categories
ants insects

Why should you treat your whole yard for fire ants?

Fire ants are particularly nasty pests and their presence has become commonplace in over 15 different states in the U.S. Some Fire Ants are native to the United States, but some were accidentally imported. They tend to thrive in warm, humid areas, as they are susceptible to cold, harsh conditions. When treating for fire ants, whether there is an existing infection or just for preventative measures, it is important to treat the entirety of the property.

These ants are incredibly aggressive and often territorial. When they attack, they bite with their strong mandibles and then sting their target. This sting can cause as little as mild irritation and nausea to much more severe kinds of reactions, including death in sensitive people. When stung, it feels similar to being burned by flames, hence their name. They also don’t discriminate against what they view as a threat, so they may attack people and even pets who disturb them. Fire ants may also cause severe damage, affecting plants, homes and even wiring. This makes treating the whole yard an absolute must to protect everyone in the household, the property as a whole, as well as the four legged family members. They pose a threat to everything!

Not only are these pests destructive, they spread rapidly. Depending on how many queens are within a colony, there can be up to 200 mounds and 40 million fire ants in one single acre. Each mound alone can hold up to 500,000 fire ants, a veritable army. The life cycle of these ants ranges from 30 days all the way up to six years, so when an infestation starts, they mean to stay around long term.

When looking for signs of an infestation, mounds of loose dirt are indicative of a colony and worker ants are readily seen when out scouting for the colony. These workers are most likely to be seen in greater numbers after rainfall, as they are drawn out of their colonies by flooding. Yards and open areas are the most likely to become infested by fire ants due to the higher sun exposure. They tend to prefer warm areas, which is why they’re also attracted to electrical wiring and the generated heat.

When it comes to treating a home and yard, it is imperative that the entire area be treated to prevent the Fire Ants from establishing and maintaining a colony that poses such a serious threat to people, pets, and property.

A13I4OQ7UCVD34 © 2016

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Categories
fleas insects

Why should you treat for fleas inside and outside the home?

Fleas are a type of parasitic insect, the little buggers are known as an itchy nuisance, but they also come with a risk of further disease. These pests if left untreated can cause your animal to get sicker with other illnesses such as dermatitis, anemia, and other parasites like the tapeworm. You can easily spot these pepper looking bugs inside your pet’s coat where they feed on your pet.

Once you have detected fleas on your pet, you may already have an infestation. Fleas like your pet, but they also like your carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture. You should always consider treating the outside of your home as well as the inside. Fleas are first introduced to your pet typically through your lawn. Once a flea jumps on its host, it will bite for a nice blood meal while it goes along for the ride, and begins to reproduce. An adult female flea only needs to feed on its host once, before laying eggs. The life cycle of flea begins with one single adult female laying around 25-50 eggs each day. These little white eggs may resemble salt, and are easily detected in and around your pets bedding because the eggs usually do not remain on the host. The eggs fall from the host because they are quite slippery and they later hatch in your home, on your carpet, and on your lawn.

Flea larvae can grow into adults quite rapidly in as little as five days, and up to a month depending on environmental conditions. These adults soon jump onto any nearby hosts for mating and feeding, and this is where the infestation cycle continues unless it’s controlled. Adults actually only represent about 5% of the flea infestation, and the eggs of the fleas make up about 50% of the infestation. The typical or average life cycle of the flea is approximately 18-28 days in favorable conditions for the flea.

The best ways to protect your household against the flea is professional servicing of your home You should focus on treating both the inside and outside areas of your home, since the fleas come in through the outside typically, and then are brought in on the coat of your furry family member. Additionally, flea control efforts should be implemented in a way that targets the entire life cycle of the fleas, and it would be wise to also have your pet medically treated with recommendations by your veterinarian.

W.J. Arnold. © 2016

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