When you see two or three ants in the house, you may not think much of it. Crush them, clean them up, and they’re gone, right? Unfortunately, where there are a few ants, there are almost certainly many more in close proximity.
Ants outnumber humans nearly 2.5 million to one, and they have highly developed colony structures. Which means there’s no such thing as an isolated “just a few ants” situation. Any ant is a sign that there is an infestation in or near your home.
How big are ant colonies?
The size of an ant colony can vary widely. Inside your home, an ant colony may be confined to a relatively small nest in the wall. Outdoors, colonies can spread over large areas, covering hundreds or even thousands of miles.
Ants are social creatures with a well-defined colony structure. There are three caste levels in any ant colony. There are three types of ants: the queen, who lays eggs; female workers, who care for the young in the nest; and male ants, whose job is to mate before dying shortly after.
How many ants live in a colony?
A small ant nest in your wall may contain as few as a dozen ants, and a colony in your yard may be home to tens of thousands of ants. Most colonies have around 20,000 to 100,000 ants. This number varies by species and location.
When a colony grows, some of the ants will expand into nearby areas – creating satellite colonies. Some species form super-colonies. These have many nests and multiple queens.
How many queens does an ant colony have?
The number of queens in a colony depends on the species. Carpenter ants usually have one queen. In contrast, odorous house ants and Argentine ants, or sugar ants, can have many queens, especially in super-colonies.
What is the biggest ant colony in the world?
The largest ant colony is the Argentine Ant Supercolony. It spans at least 3,700 miles and houses about 307 million ants. It stretches from Spain’s west coast, through southern France, and into northern Italy. This area covers the Mediterranean region of Europe.
Some scientists think the colony might be much larger, maybe even global. The ants in this super colony have many queens in each sub-colony. They all lay eggs at the same time. This helps the species spread quickly.
What can I do about a big ant colony around my home or business?
The key is to act quickly. First, resist the urge to spray the ants you just see. This method removes the visible workers, and meanwhile, the queen keeps laying up to 1,000 eggs daily in the nest.
Instead, focus on identifying entry points. Ants leave unseen pheromone trails. These trails serve as highways for their nestmates. Also:
- Seal these entry points with caulk and remove attractants.
- Store food in airtight containers, fix leaky pipes (ants need water), and keep pet food elevated.
- Trim tree branches and shrubs that touch your building – these serve as bridges for ant colonies.
Those worker ants you see are just 10-20% of the colony. Thousands more are hidden from view. So to fully eliminate a large colony, you must target the queen and the whole nest. This is where professional ant pest control comes in.
Our Southold technicians use special baits. Worker ants take these baits back to the colony. This process leads to the queen being eliminated.
Twin Forks Pest Control is Your Local Ant Specialist
When you see ants in or near your home, it’s safe to assume there is an ant nest nearby, and possibly even a substantial colony. Twin Forks Pest Control is your Southold pest specialist. We will inspect your home and property to check for signs of an ant colony and take all necessary steps to remove the problem.
Call us today for a free estimate.
