You nurture your tomato plants until you have beautiful fruit maturing on the vine.Upon closer inspection, you discover that somet
06.06.2023 - 19:02 / gardenerspath.com / Helga George
How to Control Ants in and Around Your HomeYou know the dread you feel when you see a few ants in your house, harbingers of an approaching onslaught? Where there are a few, many more are likely to follow.
However, it’s possible to combat many of these invaders yourself, without enlisting the help of a professional exterminator.
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With this guide, you’ll stand a good chance of turning the tide against these irritating insects.
Basic Colony StructureAnts form colonies – some composed of millions of insects, others with as few as several dozen.
The ants you normally see trailing around your kitchen are female workers. These are the individuals that collect food and bring it back to feed their queen – who is sequestered deep in the colony, laying eggs.
The queens can live as long as 15 years, depending on the species, and during their lifetime can lay thousands of eggs.
At certain times of year, the colonies produce “swarmers.” These are large numbers of winged insects that emerge from the nest to mate and form new colonies.
If you find a swarm inside your home, a nest is nearby.
Since swarming ants look similar to termites, this behavior can be alarming to a homeowner.
Look closely – this is how to tell the difference between ants and termites:
Ants tend to have very narrow waists while termites have wider ones. The antennae of ants are bent, but on termites, they are straight. The hind wings of ants are smaller than those in front, while they are about equal in size on termites. How to Minimize Indoor Ant InvasionsIf you have a problem with ants, you will likely go to the store and buy insecticide sprays and baits just to
You nurture your tomato plants until you have beautiful fruit maturing on the vine.Upon closer inspection, you discover that somet
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