What Makes Ants Superior by Nature

Ants are a superior pest by nature because, quite simply, there are so many of them. With impressive reproduction rates, their sheer numbers help them outnumber any other insect around. Many ant colonies house multiple queens who lay up to 1,000 eggs per day. It makes sense, then, that their populations come to dominate the areas in which they reside. Colonies can contain thousands or even millions of ants – numbers that most pests simply can’t match.

The second big reason ants have become the top pest problem is their social makeup. Other pests like spiders typically live in isolation, while ants are “social insects” that work together as one unit. It’s not uncommon to see ants protect one another or even give their lives for their colony. When starting a new nest, colonies send out scouts that look for a food source and often die in the process. They leave behind pheromones that trail all the way back to the nest. This provides the colony a direct route to a tasty meal.

The Southern California Ant Takeover

Ants have taken advantage of travel to make it to virtually every corner of the Earth. The more we become a globalized society, the easier it is for ants to reach commercial and travel hubs like Southern California via cargo ships, trucks, and even airplanes. It’s hard to imagine tiny ants surviving at 30,000 feet, but it’s indeed possible. In our region, there are two foreign species – often called “tramp ants” – that have quickly taken over: Argentine ants and red imported fire ants.

Rather than the invading ants having to adjust to new environments, we’ve already done the work for them, adjusting ourselves with green lawns, food-filled buildings, and interiors with plenty of hiding places. Southern California used to be full of odorous house ants and harvester ants, but now sees Argentine ants outcompete them in crowded cities while red imported fire ants have come to dominate the desert.

In the City: Argentine Ants

Argentine ants may not sting like fire ants, but they make up for it with their overall dominance as a species. The reason they’ve replaced many native ants in our region is because:

• They’re prolific reproducers – Argentine ants are set up to outnumber other ants, with more queens per colony and, thus, more offspring. They take the term “strength in numbers” to a whole new level, often winning physical battles, too.
• They’re not aggressive toward their own – Unlike other ants, Argentine ant colonies work together, often joining forces in one “supercolony.” It’s even rumored that there’s an Argentine supercolony in Southern California.

At Lloyd Pest Control, nearly 95 percent of ant infestations we deal with in the city involve the Argentine species. They’re attracted to overwatered lawns and tropical plants, which offer an environment like their native Amazonian region of South America.

Argentine ants prefer to nest outdoors, looking for places in trees, soil, or under logs. From there, they then trek indoors in search of food, bringing it back to the nest with pheromone trails as their arsenal.

In the Desert: Red Imported Fire Ants

In the Southern California desert (notably, the area stretching from Palm Springs to Coachella), fire ants reign supreme. Two species call the desert home: the native fire ant and the invasive fire ant, also called the red imported fire ant.

Both species crave dry environments – hence, they’re both fond of the desert. But it’s the red imported fire ant that’s more concerning because it’s much more aggressive.

Red imported fire ants’ colonies, like Argentine ant colonies, are bigger than most ant colonies – with populations often numbering in the millions. They live underground, coming to the surface in search of nearby food sources.
Unlike Argentine ants, they spend all their time outdoors, seeking nearby insects, honeydew, and vegetables to satisfy their omnivorous appetite. Be wary of finding the ants near you – their large dirt mound nests are everywhere from backyards to parks to and baseball fields.

A good reason to be wary of fire ants is their stinging ability, which, added to their massive numbers, makes them a big health threat. Taking care of a nest sooner rather than later is key to avoiding a painful encounter.

If threatened, the ants will send out an alarm pheromone, quickly pouring out through the opening of their nest to attack you relentlessly. They don’t sting once, but over and over – there have been instances of people getting stung thousands of times. Ouch!

How to Fight Back Against Ants

While ants are the world’s number one pest nuisance for a reason, there are steps you can take to stop their takeover. To prevent Argentine ants from infesting, do the following:

• Take away the food sources by wiping up crumbs and keeping food in sealed containers.
• Make it harder for them to get indoors by sealing cracks and voids and keeping bushes and trees away from your structure.
• Prevent attracting them to your yard in the first place by not overwatering your lawn.

When it comes to fire ants, there’s not as much you can do to prevent infestations. Fortunately, they’re only found outdoors, so the best thing you can do is keep an eye out for their nests once they pop up. If you spot one on your property, the first thing you should do is call in the professionals for safe ant control.

Professional Ant Control in Southern California

At Lloyd Pest Control, we use two different methods for both Argentine and fire ants: insecticides (for smaller colonies) and baits (for larger colonies). Baits are taken back to the nest by workers, and within a few days, they take down an entire colony – including the queens. Contact us for thorough ant control in Southern California today.

The post How Ants Became Southern California’s Number One Nuisance Pest first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Do Argentine Ants Sting?

In Southern California, the Argentine ant is the most common species. These are the super small fellas that enter our homes in search of food and water. Fortunately for us, they don’t sting.

Argentine ants are, however, relentless killers to other insects. Their organization, overpowering numbers, and ability to displace their enemies are the reasons that odorous house ants – once the dominant ant of our region – have become the minority here. Argentine ants will attack bees, wasps, and even birds, and they won’t stop until their adversary has fled or is destroyed. The one good thing about these ants is they will sometimes attack termite colonies in your home.

Do Fire Ants Sting?

Although they’re nowhere near as common as the Argentine ants, we still have to watch out for fire ants in our region. These guys do sting, and the reaction that results can be fairly painful – so much so, it’s comparable to a bee sting. A fire ant sting will swell, forming a blister within 8-24 hours. This is normal, and can be treated with ice, elevation, and a topical antihistamine. If you experience a more severe allergic reaction, contact emergency medical help.

Fire ants live mostly in small, inland colonies, and can be identified by their reddish-brown color. They don’t create entrances on the tops of their mounds, but enter colonies through the side or underground tunnels. If you find an anthill, do not poke or prod it, because fire ants will attack to protect their home, and they run fast. Unlike bees, fire ants can sting more than once (an even bigger reason to leave them to ant control professionals).

Ant Control to Prevent Stings Once and for All

Don’t let the worry of ant stings stress you out – get them (specifically, fire ants) eliminated before they create concerns for you and your family. Trust in Lloyd Pest Control as your dependable ant control solution in Southern California. We’ll eliminate your ant colony in full, keeping any worry of stings at bay.

The post Do Ants Sting? first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Some ants protect their nests with their heads

Aside from being able to carry objects 50 times their own body weight, ants display another behavior that is quite spectacular. head to protect its colony from unwanted guests.

Ants use to live alongside the dinosaurs over 130 million years ago. Fossilized evidence of ants and other insects have been found in lumps of amber, or plant resin.

Termites are less dirty than you might think

Termites, though they can be disastrous to your home, are actually a benefit to the environment. Termites are vital to earth’s decomposition of tough plant fibers. But that’s not what’s so cool about these pests.

Much of a termite’s life is spent cleaning other termites in the colony!

Bacteria and fungal infections can make quick work of termite colonies, which is why they spend such a great deal of time grooming each other to keep the colony clean. A termite’s antennae enable the termite to detect infections while they clean.

Bed bugs hide before you know they’ve bitten you

Over the past few years bed bugs have grown as a menace throughout Southern California and the entire country.

Bed bugs inject anti-coagulants and anesthetics into your skin so they can feed and hide before you even know they are around. The bed bug’s saliva acts as an anesthetic thus masking the bite and increasing the speed of the feeding process.

Spiders limbs work like that of a machine

While it’s true that almost every spider in the world is venomous, most spiders teeth are either too small or lack the potency of venom to harm people. But it’s not just the fangs and the venom that scare people. Spiders have a strange way of moving, which, as it turns out isn’t that different, mechanically speaking, than the more familiar movement of a common construction site excavator.

Spiders can control blood pressure in their limbs using a combination of hemolymph (arthropod blood) and extensor muscles located in the three hip joints, which allows them to move, and even jump in the case of jumping spiders.

Bees will create a new queen from existing larvae

Often, the only silver lining to a bee sting is the assumed knowledge that after a single sting, the bee dies.  The truth, however, is that honeybees don’t always die after stinging something. A bee stinger may become caught in a human’s skin but many other surfaces anima skins are more forgiving and will endure multiple stings without harm to the bee itself.

But despite all this seemingly violent behavior, bees are extraordinarily community driven. As a queen bee dies, she emits a pheromone that will cause worker bees to immediately create a new queen from existing larvae.

Fleas and brushes have something in common

Your dog or cat may disagree, but the flea is quite a magnificent creature. Not only can a flea jump 8-10 inches vertically (making it one of the best jumpers of any animal, relative to body size), and not only can the flea’s hard body withstand incredible pressure, but the common flea is in some ways similar to the common hair.

 The flea’s body is covered with hard plates called Sclerites. In the same why that a hair brush is designed to easily part the hair on your head, the flea’s hard body plates (called Sclerites) have hairs that point away from its head allowing it to easily crawl through your dog or cat’s fur.

Cockroaches just want to be loved…sort of

You may know that cockroaches can live for weeks without their heads, but did you know that they like to be touched? Cockroaches are thigmotropic, which means they like solid objects coming in contact with their bodies.

Despite how interesting these pests may be, they can be damaging to our home and health. That’s where Lloyd Pest Control comes in. Our elimination service covers Southern California with more than 200 radio-dispatched trucks, 200 licensed technicians, supervisors, a Quality Control staff, an entomologist, and a biologist. For more information about each of these pests and their eradication, contact Lloyd Pest Control today at 1.800.223.2847.

The post 7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Pests first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Creatures were stirring, including a mouse
Neither of us had a clue how they got here
Our house is infested I told my dear
The children were awake stirring in their beds
While visions of spiders danced in their heads
When out in the room there was a pitter patter
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter
The tree was crawling with insects below
A Christmas tree can have pests but how could I know
More rapid than cheetahs the ants they came
And marched to the kitchen in search of sugar cane
To the top of the ceiling! To the top of the wall!
How on earth could I get rid of them all!
What could I possibly have done differently?

Lloyd Pest Control

When buying a tree you should check for bugs and shake gently
Bring a flashlight to the lot in order to see
That no insects have infested the greenery
These few simple things are easy to do
And will help to prevent pests from bugging you
The bugs on the tree are seldom harmful
But exposed food in your house will make it an armful
So be careful to check the tree before you buy
Because a tree full of bugs might make you cry
We hope you have a joyous Holiday Season
A house without pests is a wonderful reason
To Celebrate
The Holiday

Happy Holidays from Lloyd Pest Control

Click here for a humorous post titled “Should I worry about bugs in my Christmas tree?”

The post above is an adaptation of the original work “Twas the night before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore

The post Twas the night before Christmas first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Here at Lloyd Pest Control, we are always on the lookout for news and discussions about our favorite topic – pests! Recently, we came across a podcast that outlines the history of the Argentine Ant. We can thank a steamboat out of Buenos Aires in the 1890’s for transporting them to Louisiana and then the great advancement of cross-country trains to land them in California by 1907.

Argentine Ants are an invasive species. Their strategy is simple: kill anything that isn’t one of us. Argentine Ants have managed to do just that. The super colony they have created spans every continent except Antarctica.

During the podcast, David Howay, an ecologist and evolutionary biologist from UC San Diego takes you to a driveway in Escondido, California where he demonstrates the nasty and loyal habits of the Argentine Ant.

The post The Journey of Argentine Ants first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

A recent study of pest professionals, conducted by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has revealed that ants are the number one nuisance pest in the United States and often become a problem during the warmer months as they venture indoors to look for food.

Unfortunately, ants are more than just a household annoyance. Ants can pose health risks and cause extensive property damage once inside the home.

Odorous ants are known to contaminate food sources and carpenter ants can tunnel through wood to build nests inside structures. Luckily, a mixture of integrated pest management tactics can effectively prevent and manage most infestations.

We recommend the following tips to avoid ant infestations:

1. Eliminate sources of moisture or standing water near a home.
2. Keep tree branches and other shrubbery well trimmed and away from the house.
3. Seal cracks and holes on the outside of the home.
4. Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house and five inches from the ground.
5. Keep food in sealed containers and dispose of garbage regularly.
6. Keep pet food and water dishes clean and remove any spilled food.

And the biggest ant issue in Southern California?  The invasive Argentine ants which have displaced almost all others, taking over underground ant colonies – and above ground people homes – in greater numbers each year for the past decade.

If you suspect an ant infestation, contact Lloyd Pest Control

to identify the species and recommend a course of treatment. For more information, please visit https://stg.lloydpest.com/ants/

The post Ants March into Homes as Weather Warms first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

DIY Tips To Defend Your Home Against Pests

• 1. Screens.  Fix those hole-y screens to keep out flying and crawling insects.
  2. Door sweeps and weather-stripping.  The bigger the gap between your doors and the outside world, the greater the invitation to bugs and rodents.
  3. Pruning shears.  Plants growing against the side of the house invite bugs and rodents to share a wall with you and your delicious food.  Trim bushes and plants back at least a foot from your structure.
  4. Steel wool and a can of foam. Plug gaps in the wall where plumbing pipes and conduit enter the home.  Use steel wool or hardware cloth (rodents can’t chew through it) and seal with expanding foam to keep out all pests and moisture.
  5. A caulking gun.  Seal window joints to keep moisture from settling and softening wood.  Moisture-damaged wood invites termites.
  6. Move woodpiles  far away from your home and wooden fences.  Woodpiles invite both subterranean and drywood termites that would be happy to expand their colony into your home’s framing.
  7. Use Ziploc bags and Tupperware to isolate food items in pantries contaminated with Stored Food Pests (those little, fuzzy, moth-like pantry bugs).  After a few days, throw away the products that are inside the sealed containers where bugs appear – generally rice and grains (This trick could save you hundreds of grocery dollars).
  8. Potted plants.   Don’t over-water potted plants inside your home.  They’ll invite ants during the summer.  If ants set up shop in a potted plant, put it outside for a few days in the sun.  The ants will abandon the dry soil.
  9. Rubber gaskets and a faucet repair kits are super cheap, easy ways to stop faucets from dripping.  Dripping faucets are like a waterpark for ants.
  10. Windex.  Windex – or any similar product WITH ammonia – can be used to erase ants’ pheromone or scent trails.  Soap won’t work.  Neither will bleach.  Ammonia obliterates the pheromone, and keeps ants away.  Otherwise the trail remains, ready to attract the next set of ants to the same path.

For more information on protecting your home, visit our website www.LloydPest.com, or call 1-800-223-2847.

The post How can I keep bugs out of my house? first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.