Ants And The Rural Environment
Ants are social insects and live in structured communities in gardens, parks and rural spaces where they nest underground, in mounds, or in trees, often becoming a nuisance and deterring outdoor activities.
Ants are social insects and live in structured communities ingardens, parks and rural spaces where they nest underground, in mounds, or in trees, often becoming a nuisance and deterring outdoor activities.
While ants do little direct damage to plants, they can disturb soil around plant roots and deposit it on the surface during their nest building activities. This can be an issue on lawns and for low-growing plants that can be buried by excavated soil. Seeking out the warmth and seclusion of plant containers, ants can disturb plant roots in pots, meaning plants are more prone to wilting, especially when dry at the roots.
Urban Ants
Adaptable ants also thrive in urban environments,frequently making buildings their home. Here they colonise in wall cavities, gaps in floors, roofs, pavements, or foundations. Severe ant infestations can cause structural problems, damage equipment and infrastructure and impact businesses, land, and property values. As worker ants are attracted to electricity, they can colonise around electrical equipment, causing malfunctions or in severe cases catastrophic damage.
As they are efficient communicators even a single ant can pose a problem, as it will quickly report back to the colony the location of any potential food, resulting in many more ants coming into buildings if left undeterred. For this reason, ants pose a particular problem for food production businesses and commercial kitchens.
Ants and Public Health
Ants can carry disease, and as such can pose a risk to public health. They have been found to transfer various pathogenic microorganisms as well as faecal contaminants including E. Coli, Salmonella and Listeria contaminating food, water and food-contact surfaces in kitchens resulting in foodborne illnesses for humans. Ants can pick up these pathogens from various sources, including waste and decaying matter, and then transfer them to surfaces where food is prepared or consumed. Proper hygiene and effective pest control measures are important to minimise these risks and ensure a safe environment.
Perception of Ants
Public perception regarding ants can vary depending on the context and individual experiences. Here are some common perspectives on ants:
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Nuisance Pests: Many people perceive ants as annoying pests when they invade homes, gardens, or public spaces. Their presence can disrupt daily activities, contaminate food, and cause inconvenience. This perception often leads to a desire to eliminate or control ant populations.
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Fascination with Nature: Some individuals have a deep appreciation for the natural world, including ants. They may find ants fascinating due to their complex social structures, organised behaviour, and ecological roles.
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Educational Value: Ants often serve as subjects of scientific study and educational programs. Many people, particularly children, learn about ants' biology, behaviour, and ecological significance through educational materials, nature documentaries, or school projects.
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Indifference: Some individuals may simply be indifferent to ants, considering them a natural part of the environment. They may not view them as a significant concern or have a strong opinion about their presence.
Overall, public perception of ants can range from negative to positive, influenced by personal experiences, knowledge, cultural factors, and attitudes towards the natural world. It is important to strike a balance between managing the potential negative impacts of ants while also recognising their ecological value.
Expert advice on ants for PCOs
If you’re a PCO and you’ve been called in to deal with an ant problem, the most important part of any ant treatment is making sure that you have a correct species ID. Identification is key and you need to make sure that you know if it’s a single queen (monogynous) species such as Black house ant (Ochetellus glaber) or a multi queen (polygynous) species such as the Pharoah Ant (Monomorium pharaonis). Knowing the correct species will allow you to choose the correct treatment method. Once you have your correct identification and have chosen your treatment method, then you must follow your product label correctly to ensure that you are using your insecticide correctly and for the correct target insect.
When treating single queen species such as Black House Ant (Ochetellus glaber) the direct treatment spray of the nest will result in the quickest control. Temprid® 75 is a premium quality liquid insecticide product which provides excellent knockdown and residual activity. If you cannot locate the nest and can only see foraging workers, then using a gel bait such as Maxforce® Quantum will be your best method of control.
When treating multi queen species such as the Pharaoh Ant (Monomorium pharaonis) it is important to use an ant bait such as Maxforce Quantum, and not to spray them as this will cause the ant colonies to split and form new colonies (‘bud’), which will make the problem worse. This results in multiple smaller colonies spreading out, which can be harder to control and may lead to a more widespread infestation.
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