Ants continue to top Birmingham's "Most Wanted" list .... most wanted DEAD that is. Ant colonies are considered super organisms because they act as a unified entity, working together to support the colony. Ant societies have division of labor, communication between individuals, and the ability to solve even complex problems. With these factors in mind, […]
Ants and icebergs are similar in one regard, it's the whole "tip of the iceberg" saying. Just as what you see above the water is only a very small portion of the iceberg, the ants you see trailing in search of food are only a very small portion of the colony. Typically only 10% of […]
Sometimes it's enjoyable to have ants come to the house for dinner .... that is if it's "Aunts" and not "ants". Often homeowners issue far more invitations, be it unintentionally, to "ants" rather than "Aunts". So the questions is ..... how do you put out the "GO AWAY" doormat for ants instead of the "Welcome" […]
The "good" would be spring showers, so necessary for food production, lush lawn and colorful flower beds. The "bad" would be swarming ants, a real nuisance around the patio, ball park, etc. The "ugly" would be swarming termites, an indication that a termite colony has reached a population sufficient to start new colonies. During this […]
Ants come in many different sizes and colors, even within the same species and sometimes, oddly enough, even within the same colony. There are several things all ants have in common though, first and foremost being.... when they manage to invade our homes, ants are decidedly unwelcome. Another of the common factors many ant […]
Along with the usual fall flowers, many lawns seem to be sprouting ant mounds the past few weeks. Driving along some road ways it seems ant hills are popping up every few feet. The truth is the ants were already there, just hidden mostly under ground. The recent rains have caused ground saturation which the […]
Ants have had millions of years to evolve and need no help from humans to survive. Many homeowners however are enabling ants not only to survive, but to actually thrive. Moisture is a factor contributing to the health of an ant colony, so any steps to minimize moisture will help minimize ant populations. In order […]
Ants have inhabited the earth for the past 100 million years so chances are, they aren’t going away any time soon. A queen ant only has to, how to put this, “have coffee” once in order to produce eggs for the rest of her life. A male is allowed only a single “cup of coffee” […]
Pests like roaches, ants and spiders can quickly become “pets” when we inadvertently provide them with food, water and shelter by allowing vegetation to grow on our homes. Various insects can already survive in what would seem to be unfriendly environments, so it makes sense that they will thrive when we improve their living conditions. […]
Over the many years of their existence ants have been called a lot of different names, a number of which can’t be repeated on a family friendly website. Many homeowners are encountering ants in pet food dishes, flower pots, trash cans, bathrooms, swimming pools, kitchens, flower beds and any number of other locations. Only ten […]
