Ant
Service
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There are many different
kinds of ants in the Dallas/Ft Worth area.
Metro Guard Termite and Pest uses the best
products available to combat your ant infestation. Ants
are social insects, they communicate very well with each
other and can be tricky to eliminate. Some ants are best
controlled by using bait products while others are best
controlled using spray applications. |
The first step in controlling
any ant problem is to correctly identify the ant. With the
ant correctly identified, the proper treatment is determined.
Using the wrong method can make the problem worse. Metro
Guard has 17 years experience dealing with ants.
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| Our ant service includes the following: |
- Thorough inspection of the home to determine the extent
of the problem
- Identification of the ant(s)
- Determination of the best method to eliminate and control
the problem
- Full written estimate of the cost to provide service
and the warranty period available
- Service can be provide at the time of the estimate if
you are happy with our technician and the estimate
- After service is completed the technician will discuss
what you can expect going forward
- 90 – 180 day warranties are available
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About
Ants |
Ants are
one of the most successful groups of insects in the animal
kingdom and are of particular interest because they are
a social insect and form highly organized colonies or nests,
sometimes consisting of millions of individuals. Colonies
of invasive ant species will sometimes work together and
form supercolonies, spanning a very wide area of land.
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Ants have
colonized almost every landmass on Earth. |
The four most common ants
found in the North Texas area are the Carpenter,
Pharoah, Argentine and Red Ant.
Below is some information on each of these species: |
Carpenter
Ant
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Carpenter
Ants are large black or rust colored ants. They
usually dwell in and excavate wood, thus their name. The
debris from their excavation looks like small piles of sawdust.
Carpenter ants prefer soft, wet, rotted
wood, and although their natural habitat is woodland areas,
they frequently invade homes. Once
they are detected they should be treated as soon as possible.
Evidence of Infestation
Presence of ants: Continuous or numerous
ants are a sign of nesting.
Sawdust: Accumulating in piles or caught in spider webbing;
has a finely-shredded appearance.
Trails: Ants move along definite trails
by following a chemical scent or visual clues. |
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Pharoah
Ant |
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Pharoah
ants are found throughout the United States.
There colonies can become very large, numbering
in the hundreds of thousands.
Typical nesting areas include wall voids, baseboards,
in furniture, near hot water heaters and heating
systems. Outdoors, they are likely to nest near
the house or in a garden or lawn.
These ants vary in color from yellowish
to reddish, with the abdomen normally darker to
black.
These ants have a diverse array
of food choices. They prefer sweets, greases, meat,
blood and insects. Although it is not uncommon for
them to feed on such items as shoe polish and sponges.
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Fire
Ant |
The Fire Ant
is a native species sometimes called the Tropical Fire
Ant. This ant ranges from South Carolina to Florida
and west to Texas. This native fire ant
usually nests in mounds constructed around clumps of vegetation,
but may also nest under objects or in rotting wood.
Fire Ants only bite to get a grip and then
sting (from the abdomen) and inject a toxic alkaloid venom.
For humans this is a painful sting - hence the name fire
ant - and the after effects of the sting are deadly
to some individuals.
The worker ants are blackish to reddish and vary from 3-6
mm in length. |
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Argentine
Ant |
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Native
to Argentina and Brazil, the Argentine ant
has spread to many parts of United States, including
Texas and California
These tiny ants will set up quarters
in the ground, in cracks in concrete walls, in spaces
between boards and timbers, even among belongings
in human dwellings. The worker ants are only about
1.6 mm (1/16th inch) long. They can easily squeeze
through cracks and holes no more than 1 mm (0.040
inch) in size. Queens are two to four times the length
of workers.
They are attracted by electrical currents and are
known to have caused damage to air conditioners, heat
pumps, telephone junction boxes, traffic lights, gasoline
pumps, and so on. When they become lodged or electrocuted
between the contacts of relays, it damages the contacts
and causes the equipment controlled by the relay to
malfunction.
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