Adult ants species come in a variety of shapes and sizes but each will be one of three different colony castes; queens, workers or males. Queens are fertile females that lay all the eggs in a colony. Workers are wingless females that gather food, feed larvae, maintain the nest, defend the colony, and do not reproduce. Male ants are winged and their only job is to mate with the queens during the swarming process. Most do-it-yourself ant control approaches kill only the ants you see. Some truly effective treatments can penetrate and destroy nests to help prevent these pests from returning. Also, home remedies don’t account for the fact that different kinds of ant infestations require different treatments. Ants leave an invisible chemical trail which contains pheromones for others to follow once they locate the food source.

They can nest about anywhere in and around your house; in lawns, walls, stumps, even under foundations. Ants can enter through even the tiniest cracks, seeking water and sweet or greasy food substances in the kitchen pantry or storeroom areas. Colonies can number up to 300,000 to 500,000, and whole colonies can uproot and relocate quickly when threatened. A colony can live a relatively long lifetime. Worker ants may live seven years, and the queen may live as long as 15 years. Most do-it-yourself ant control approaches kill only the ants you see. Some truly effective treatments can penetrate and destroy nests to help prevent these pests from returning. Also, home remedies don’t account for the fact that different kinds of ant infestations require different treatments. Ants leave an invisible chemical trail which contains pheromones for others to follow once they locate the food source.