Ants in Our Area

One of the most diverse groups of insect in our region, the ant comes in many different shapes and sizes. In this Thursday’s blog, we will discuss the most common forms in the Savannah area so that you can make an informed decision about ant control in your home or office.

There are four main classes of ants in Georgia, each of which presents its own problems to be dealt with by a Savannah exterminator (like Preferred Pest Control). They are as follows:

Fire Ant:

Perhaps the most well-known ant species in Georgia, the fire ant isn’t even an indigenous species – it was imported accidentally from its native home in South America. These ants deliver a very painful, venomous sting that leaves an irritating white bump for days, and can be deadly if the victim is allergic. Fire ants are incredibly resilient, possessing venom and numbers potent enough to destroy nearby lizard and ground-dwelling bird populations. They are considered pests due to their painful sting, destabilization of other animal populations, and destruction of plants as a result of their large, mound-like nests. Though many “household cures” for this particular species can be found at hardware stores, the only guaranteed way to rid yourself of a fire ant invasion is to have a professional come out and perform a thorough ant control service.

Carpenter Ant:

The largest species of ant in Georgia, the black carpenter ant can reach sizes of up to 5/8 inches long. While their large mandibles can deliver a painful bite, they do not possess venom like the fire ant, and their pest status is instead by their nesting habits. Similar to a carpenter bee, a carpenter ant will burrow into wooden structures to create nests, potentially weakening a home or office. Though they do not consume the wood like termites, and therefore do less damage than the latter, the carpenter ant should still be dealt with by a registered pest control technician versed in quality ant control to prevent even minimal damage to your wooden structures.

Pavement Ant:

The Pavement Ant is most at home under concrete slabs or sidewalks and is the species of ant you can see building nests in the cracks of pavement. Like the carpenter ant, however, the pavement ant will readily nest in the structure of a home. They will eat almost anything and, if an infestation enters your home, they will quickly invade your trash can or counters if food is left out.

Pharaoh Ant:

The pharaoh ants are a tiny, nearly transparent species of ant that grow to about 1/16 inch long. Notorious for infesting homes, offices, hospitals, and nearly every other type of building, the pharaoh ant forages in search of food (primarily sugar, dead insects, meat, and grease). Though they are not known for causing structural damage and cannot sting, these ants are vectors for many different diseases, and should therefore be a top priority for extermination.

If you are having problems with ants in your home, call us at (912)-236-5135 and experience professional ant control today!