Truly Nolen Pest Advice Blog » Ants

Carpenter Ants: Defeating the Army Behind Your Walls

TrulyNolen — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 16:50:43 +0000

Have you ever wondered what a carpenter ant really is? We can guarantee you that they are not building beautiful furniture pieces. In fact, quite the opposite. You may think, oh, its just an ant, but these ants will give you something to worry about it if not taken care of. Carpenter ants and termites look for new homes in the summer Like termites, in late winter and early spring, young adult carpenter ants, known as alates, swarm to mate and start new colonies. Male and female reproductives mate and form new colonies. These new colonies need places to nest and raise their broods. Unlike termites, these sometimes large black and brown to reddish bi-colored ants do not eat wood, but burrow through it, creating galleries and tunnels, causing structural damage to homes. Measuring from .25 inches to around .75 inches, carpenter ants need a constant source of moisture to survive. Attracted to damp wood around your property or constantly moist boards and siding, carpenter ants like to nest in the damp and rotting wood outside your home, but will move inside by burrowing through damp wood or finding cracks in wood on the exterior of your home. Sometimes, they Read More

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Protecting your Charlotte Home Against Ants

Truly Nolen of Charlotte NC — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 18:49:15 +0000

In Charlotte, you can tell the winter is over and spring is in the air, not only because of the crocuses, tulips and daffodils sprouting up everywhere but also because of the reappearance of ants in your kitchen, and other parts of your home and property. While winter weather conditions impact Charlotte with below freezing temperatures a couple of times during the winter season, this year, due to the current el Niño system in place, the Carolinas experienced warmer temperatures and more rain than usual. So, ant activity could be on the rise during spring and summer 2016. As we know from going on picnics and watching National Geographic specials, ants are the original social networking experts. Therefore, they naturally thrive in advanced, highly sophisticated communities. Ants have evolved to include 10,000 different species that fill various, unique niches. Truly Nolen invites Charlotte homeowners to take a look at the most prevalent ant species. Argentine Ants Well adapted to urban environments, Argentine ants are dark brown to black in color and no bigger than ? of an inch. Nesting in moist soil near buildings or under structures, Argentine ants march up and down buildings and trees, along driveways and sidewalks, Read More

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An Overview: Ants, Ants and More Ants

Truly Nolen of Atlanta GA — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 15:42:39 +0000

Possibly the most social networking insects on Earth, ants have evolved to include 10,000 different species that fill various, unique niches. Some types are named for the work they do, some for their actions, like thief ants that rob from other ants nests. Ant colonies consist of one or more queens who lay thousands of eggs, female workers who gather food, care for the young and perform other essential colony tasks and male ants. It seems male ants have only one purpose in some ant societies to mate with the queen after which, the male dies. Close relatives to wasps and bees, ant bodies consist of three distinctive sections, a head, a thorax and an abdomen. Also, ants love Atlanta. With her peach trees, pecan trees and temperate weather, who could blame ants for wanting to live in Atlanta? Some of the most common ants in Atlanta include Argentine Ants, Carpenter Ants, Pavement Ants and Fire ants. Argentine Ants Well adapted to urban environments, dark brown to black in color and no bigger than 1/8, Argentine ants nest in moist soil near buildings or under them, looking for a way to get inside. Marching up and down buildings and trees Read More

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Slacker Ants

TrulyNolen — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 15:17:16 +0000

Think colony ants are the last word in insect industriousness? A recent study published by the Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Journal and reported on in PC Mag and Science Magazine states that colony ants are lazy slackers. Over 70% of Colony Ants are Inactive While colony ants have always enjoyed a solid reputation for efficiency and dedication, it turns out many ants that live in colonies may not do much of anything at all. A group of researchers studied five separate colonies, marking all of the members with spots of colored paint, each with a specific color code. Then, the research team set up a camera to record the ants in five minute segments, six times a day over the next two weeks, and sat back to watch what happened. The researchers learned that so-called worker ants were actually inactive over 70% of the time! Additionally, just about a quarter of all the ants were not recorded working at all. In fact, only about 3% of the ants were consistently active at all during the recorded segments. But what does this mean in the bigger picture? Since the ants arent watching Netflix or playing on tiny smart phones, why are Read More

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Powerful Pests: Know the Difference – Carpenter Ants and Termites

Truly Nolen of Atlanta GA — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 16:03:44 +0000

At first glance it may seem that Atlanta termites and carpenter ants have no discernable contrasts, but in fact, these swarming pests have several differences. Appearance Carpenter ants are large in size, approximately 3.4 to 13 mm long and range in color from yellowish to black. Carpenter ants look different from termites: whereas termites have straight antennae, carpenter ant antennae looks slightly bent. The carpenter ant has a narrow waist while the termites body is more solidly rectangular. The four wings on a carpenter ant are all of equal size; termites also have four wings, but there the similarity ends. The termites front wings are longer than the two wings in the back. While termite workers are often a light color, carpenter ant workers are often red or dark. They can also be clearly visible where as termite workers are often transparent. Behavior Carpenter ants create communities inside moist or rotten wood, while termites will damage healthy wood. Carpenter ants also live in any wooden structure that connects to the ground, such as telephone poles. However, unlike termites, carpenter ants dont actually feed on wood. Instead, they burrow through the wood itself, digging tunnels to make a home. Overall, the Read More

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Back to School: Charlottes Most Common Pests

Truly Nolen of Charlotte NC — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 20:58:30 +0000

The kids are back to school and its time for the parents to go back to school too! Its important for parents to learn about some of the most common kinds of pests found in Charlotte. Ants These tiny pests often infest woodpiles and trees in the outdoors. While many kinds of ants are prevalent, fire ants are one of the most common ant species found in North Carolina. As of 2010, they were found in 71% of NC counties. They range from 3-6 mm long and are far more aggressive than black ants or ghost ants. When they are disturbed, fire ants can lash out by biting their perpetrators. Fire ant bites can swell up and cause itching, pain, and even allergic reactions. They are at their worst during hotter weather and are fairly adaptable. Fire ants are attracted to trash, so it is important to keep the area around trash cans free from debris and prune back any trees or greenery around your home so that fire ants cant use branches as a way to invade your home. An old wives tale recommends pouring grits or hot water over the ant mound, but these methods are questionable: call Read More

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Ants and Their Superpowers

TrulyNolen — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 14:37:20 +0000

Often seen marching around front porches, driveways and kitchen countertops, ants are considered to be one of the most common and pervasive insects we encounter on a daily basis. From regular, household ants mostly regarded as a simple nuisance, to more harmful types such as Carpenter Ants or Fire Ants that can damage property or even cause allergic reactions, these insects are always seem to be present in our immediate environment. Controlling the presence of ants can be an arduous task. After all, these tiny insects seem to appear out of nowhere and can be found in any area of both the interior and exterior of your home or business. Despite their size, ants strength and abilities should not be underestimated and with over 20,000 species in the world, the amount of unique abilities ants possess is seemingly limitless. While ants play a very important role in their natural habitat, they are unwelcome in our residential and commercial environments. Despite our aversion to these insects, getting to know the inner workings of their habits and behaviors can be quite fascinating. Though we enjoy watching superheroes on the big screen, we only need to look down to observe the superhero abilities Read More

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Summer Household Pest Control Checklist for Columbus, OH

Truly Nolen of Columbus OH — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 16:00:32 +0000

The transition from spring to summer is peak time for household pest activity. Truly Nolen of Columbus, OH wants to make sure that Columbus homeowners stay pest free this summer, giving you more time to spend outdoors without worrying about pests indoors. To ensure that Columbus residents are prepared for an increase in pest activity, Truly Nolen has created a checklist to help homeowners remain pest free this summer. Summer Pests Checklist Summer Lovin- Common Pests Found in Ohio Although homeowners should be watchful of pests all throughout the year, it is important to keep an eye out for pests that may have kept a low profile during winter. Pests who go into hiding in winter months to stay warm, are now emerging, eager to reproduce and expand their habitats. Here, we take a look at a few pests that Columbus residents may start to see more of than they might like during the summer! Spiders Most of the species of spiders found in Ohio are not poisonous and are considered more of a nuisance rather than a threat. However, where there is one bug, there are two, three or more and spiders are usually a sign of bigger pest Read More

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Mansfield, OH Termite & Carpenter Ant Tips for Control

Truly Nolen of Mansfield OH — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 16:32:43 +0000

Inside the walls of your home, termites and carpenter ants may be hard at work doing what they do best; destroying any wood they encounter. Though these wood loving insects are not known for making their debut out in the open, homeowners may take notice of certain warning signs and clues that these insects leave behind. In some cases, many homeowners make the unfortunate discovery that they are sharing their home with carpenter ants or termites. This can lead to a number of questions as to what is the next best course of action. For example, if you have spotted only one or two carpenter ants, should you treat them yourself? Or, when is it really necessary to call in a professional pest control company? Truly Nolen of Mansfield takes a look at some of the warning signs that homeowners should be aware of, the questions that many homeowners may ask and provides a guide on what to look for in a company. Carpenter Ant & Termite Warning Signs Since carpenter ants and termites (also known as the silent destroyers) work behind the scenes, it is not uncommon that these insects cause a great deal of damage before the problem Read More

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Carpenter Ants and Termites: Meet Columbus Ohio’s Wood Destroying Insects

Truly Nolen of Columbus OH — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 15:58:21 +0000

Residents of Columbus, meet your neighborhood wood-destroying insects, otherwise known as Carpenter Ants and Termites. Though small in size, these insects can cause big problems for homeowners if proper inspections are not performed, and infestations are not caught in their early stages. The negative impact of these insects, particularly termites, extends beyond the time and inconvenience caused to the homeowner. Financially, homeowners may have to dig deep into their pockets to cover the costs associated with repairing damage to the structure of the home. Since both of these insects do their damage behind the scenes, it is important for homeowners to be aware of the potentially destructive habits, so that routine inspections are scheduled and action is taken immediately. Truly Nolen of Columbus provides homeowners with termite and carpenter ant expertise, effective treatment plans and guaranteed service to safely get rid of these wood destroying insects. What Time of the Year are Carpenter Ants and Termites more active? Termite and Carpenter Ant activity can occur throughout the year if temperatures are consistent, but during the spring and into the summer months, the warm weather makes it the ideal time for eggs to hatch. This year in particular, Columbus residents are Read More

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